Is keeping silent a form of lying?

My first thread in SD, hope I did everything right.

This is a problem that I've been thinking about for quite some time. I guess the best way to illustrate my point is through an example:

You're sitting in your primary school's "home room", and your teacher asks everyone who knows how to play an instrument to put his/her hand up. You know that whoever puts their hand up with undeniably be dragged into the orchestra, and you don't want to see the music teacher because you hate his guts. You don't put your hand up.

I think it's fair to say that everyone has been through a situation where they know the truth, but kept silent, for good or bad reasons. The question is, is this a form of lying?

We're not whether discussing whether or not it's for a good cause, like not offending your friend or selling someone out. The question is simple - is it lying? Don't just vote - discuss it too, tell me what you think.

Yes, in my opinion if you keep quiet in a situation like that, you are indeed lying. If you put up your hand it means you can play an instrument but if you don't then it means that you can't. If you can play an instrument yet don't raise your hand then it must mean that you're lying.

OK, how about another example?

Your friend is having a party. He made some food which taste absolutely repulsive. He asks the people sitting at the table if they like it. You, not wanting to offend him, keep silent, even though you're finding it hard to swallow.

Situations that I'd rather avoid by keeping silent for fear of embaressement/rejection......yea, it's a form of lying.

I'd rather see it like a great substitute of lying.

Your base question, I guess, is similar to "what constitutes as a lie?".
It depends on how you look at it, I suppose. For example, for people that believe that not being completely open is a form of lying, yes, keeping silent is lying. However, those who believe that lying is done verbally see keeping silent as being in the same category as not voicing one's opinion.

Your first example is rather debatable, depending on how you see the situation.
One way of looking at the first situation is that you are indeed deceiving and lying to your teacher since you have knowledge of how to operate an instrument yet did not raise your hand. However, there are some that believe that since you were not asked directly, you are not lying in a sense. For this situation, I consider the silence to be a lie, as you are convincing your teacher into believing you do not play an instrument.

The second example though, I'd say is not a lie. This opinion is in no way effected by "tact", or being a "good friend". Lying, in it's strictest definition, is meant to be an act of deceit. In this situation, you are not attempting to deceive your friend by saying "It's delicious" or the like. Neither, I imagine, are you attempting to pretend you are enjoying the food. You are simply not voicing your opinion. A greyliner. Though it'd be much more constructive to his cooking to say what is on your mind.

As I see it, the major difference between the two, and the reason why I would say one is a lie and the other isn't, is that in the first situation you are trying to deceive your teacher, but in the second you are not trying to trick your friend into believing his food is good.
EDIT: Though, now that I look back at it, the second example can also be seen as a lie due to the mere fact that you are barring the truth / being in the grey zone.

If you look at as a smart-ass, it can be seen as not lying because you didn't answer (referring to the party situation), and honestly, I don't see anything wrong with doing that. Unless you can go up to him and frankly say to him "This tastes like horseshit" without hurting his feelings, keeping quiet can sometimes be a respectful thing to do.

Though you have a point in the realm of tact, the question he was asking was whether or not it is a lie in the given situation, not whether it is OK to lie or not in a given situation.

I believe the term is "lying by omission"

Your silence is a lie if it leads someone to believe contrary to the truth. In the example of whether keeping silent to avoid hurting or embarrassing a friend, it is still a lie. However, it isn't malicious or hurtful so it isn't morally wrong to do so.

I was providing reasoning. I answered the question already; my answer is no, it is not lying.

Both situations, you are lying. I would call both cases "empty lies" lies that do not in anyway hurt you or another. You are not speaking the truth for the both examples. The second case isn't as bad as saying it's great. It would be more of being rude for not replying. It would still be not speaking the truth to not hurt their feelings or the other choice be fake by lying.


That saying keeping silent for prolong period of time may hurt your reputation for being a liar.

I think the only reason it seems hard to believe that lying to a friend or lying by being silent is STILL lying is because the thought of "lying" has such a negative connotation to it.

Lying isn't always bad, and perhaps if there was a word to differ between malicious lies and "soft" or "white" lies, this wouldn't be such a hard concept.

Silence is the easiest lie.

Sorry but it is. It's almost the most arrogant form, because you assume your good enough to not have to say anything to lie. You know what I mean?

To me, lying means doing an act that deceives. Then of course I think keeping silent is lying, because it gives the wrong impression of either you agree, or not having an opinion about something when you do have it. Yeah, some may argue that you're doing nothing at all...but again, it leads to a consequence, so that act of keeping silence means something and thus, that means you did something, that is, letting people think xx about you.

And no, I don't believe in the "lying for a good cause" thing. Whatever it is, truth is always better and lying is lying.

If keeping quiet is lying, then is pleading the fifth perjury?

Whether you lie or you keep quiet one thing remains constant, snitches get stitches. Remember that shit.

Only if you have something to hide.

Pleading the fifth automatically means you have something to hide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleading_the_fifth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Self-incrimination

If the answer is "Yes, pleading the fifth is perjury" then the 5th amendment is a pile of BS.

If the answer is "No, pleading the fifth is not perjury" then not saying anything is not considered lying.

It's very situational, but yes. Silence is a form of lying. Like when a professor asks if anyone can do the problem. There's a good chance that 90% of the class can actually do the problem but just don't want to. And since no one raised their hand, they are all lying. Good point you bring up here ImperialX.