--- title: White lies: the ugly jumper and the bad drawing — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «White lies: the ugly jumper and the bad drawing», a lesson of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: A white lie is a small lie told to be nice, like saying "I love it!" about a present you secretly think is awful. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Religion ethics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/) / White lies: the ugly jumper and the ba… # White lies: the ugly jumper and the bad drawing Lesson 83 of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school: 19 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/0/) — A white lie is a small lie told to be nice, like saying "I love it!" about a present you secretly think is awful. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/1/) — Picture Gran handing Ruby a bright orange jumper with a purple llama: "D'you love it, pet?" Ruby thinks it's hideous, but she can truly say, "You made this for me? - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/2/) — Thank you, Gran!" - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/3/) — The trick is to look for the true kind thing: thank people for their love, effort and time, and praise what you really do like, so you rarely need the lie. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/4/) — Christians are asked to speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15): honest words said gently, at the right time, for the good of the listener. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/5/) — Thinkers disagree about white lies: Kant said even small lies are wrong, others say a tiny lie that only spares feelings can be fine, and many warn that small lies add up. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/6/) — A white lie is a small lie told to be nice or to spare someone's feelings; philosophers disagree whether they are harmless. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/7/) — The Bible asks us to speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/8/) — The thinker Kant said even small lies are wrong; others think a tiny lie that only spares feelings can be fine, but that small lies add up. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/9/) — An old Jewish teaching says every bride should be praised on her wedding day as beautiful. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/10/) — Christians are told to "encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and Jesus welcomed little children (Mark 10:14). - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/11/) — Teachers find that praising effort and ideas ("tell me about it") helps children more than empty praise ("you're a genius"). - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/12/) — If something is done and cannot change, find something true and nice to say; if someone is asking before deciding, be gently honest. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/13/) — Proverbs 27:6: "Wounds from a friend can be trusted." Aristotle said the virtue lies in the middle: not a flatterer and not a brute. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/14/) — Christians are asked to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18): gratitude is owed for the giving, whatever the gift. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/15/) — When someone sincerely asks for honest feedback, kind, polite honesty helps them; "An honest witness tells the truth" (Proverbs 12:17). - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/17/) — Some philosophers say that if everyone understands "lovely dinner" as "thank you", it may not be a lie at all; "Let your conversation be always full of grace" (Colossians 4:6). - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/18/) — Timing matters: "There is a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7); the Buddha taught to say what is true and helpful at the right time. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/83-white-lies-the-ugly-jumper-and-the-bad-drawing/19/) — Slang check: "mid" means average, nothing special; "boss" in Liverpool means great; "wicked" in Boston means very; "pet" in the North of England is a kind word like "love". - ← previous: [Trust that breaks and takes long to mend](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/82-trust-that-breaks-and-takes-long-to-mend/) - next →: [Kind truths: honesty with a gentle voice](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/84-kind-truths-honesty-with-a-gentle-voice/) - ↑ back to [Religion ethics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/)