2/1/16 Journal # 1 …

Imagine a day where you told
absolutely no lies…no answering
“fine” when asked “how are you?”
but really you’re having a rough day
and just do not feel like revealing all
of the details. No telling your parents
about your bad day at school when
asked “how was school today?” and
no answering a question with a
polite answer when your best friend
or girl friend asks “does this make me
look fat?”… What does a day with
100% truth and no lies look like? Write
an entry that includes a quick
narrative revealing your day of no
lying. What impact would no lying
have, and how would it affect those
around you?
“The Ways We Lie”
Read the article with a partner or group of three.
 Take notes on the provided chart paper, and
work together to identify the following:

author’s thesis
 audience
 purpose
 concession
 evidence


As a group, decide which type of lie is the most
harmful. Then, formulate an argument stating
your claim, and give evidence to support your
ideas.
Questions:
Answer as a group

1. Ericsson starts out by recounting her own four-lie day (paragraphs
1-2). What is the effect of this introduction?

2. How many kinds of lies does Ericsson describe? How does the
number of kinds of lies help her make her larger point about lying?

3. At the beginning of each kind of lie, Ericsson provides an
epigraph, a short quotation that forecasts theme. In your opinion,
which of these epigraphs works best and why?

4. Does Ericsson think it’s possible to eliminate lies from our lives?
What evidence does she offer?

5. What is the message of Ericsson’s conclusion? Does the
conclusion work well? Why or why not?
Reflection:
Journal # 2…
Analyze and reflect on the following quote from the article:
“Our acceptance of lies becomes a cultural cancer that
eventually shrouds and reorders reality until moral garbage
becomes as invisible to us as water is to a fish.”
What is the point of the analogy and what connection/s can you
draw? Explain your ideas.