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Complete PICLE corpus of essays by Polish advanced EFL students (330,000)

/^t/Finally, there are lies that are considered not only moral but ever beneficial. Telling a patient, whose hopes of recuperating are receeding, that he/she has all the chances in the world to stave off the virus can work miracles. By doing so we can strengthen the immune system of a gravely ill person. Sometimes it's better to avoid saying things which might evoke unnecessary pain. Breaking the news about somebody's tragic accident doesn't have to entail all the horific details. It concerns especially people whose nerves are already freyed. Instead of saying that "his head rolled on the other side of the pavement" we can say "his body was intact". Parents who filed for the divorce do not have to reveal all the intricate reasons for doing so to their child. For example, instead of saying "I couldn't tolerate your father's back door girl any more" a parent can say "Mom and Dad decided to stay apart for some time". Delaying telling the truth until the child grows up is a safe alternative in this context. Saying untruth in such cases serves to protect the feeling of other people.