lie

Honesty and integrity are qualities that I hold in high regard.
Nevertheless, I cannot avoid using a white lie every now and then. After all, the truth can sometimes come across as rather rude or hurtful. And sometimes you can just make someone happy with such an innocent lie.
The question remains whether ‘innocent’ is an appropriate adjective for ‘lie’, even if you replace it with ‘white’.

If a friend asks you what you think of her new blouse, you like it, period. Even if that is not true. In such cases I think of a compliment that I can give without having to lie. First, I make an approving sound, which does not literally mean ‘oh, how I love that blouse’, but which is rather a confirmation of her joy about her new purchase. Then I say, for example, that the colour suits her, or that it goes well with the trousers she is wearing. In any case, I confirm her enthusiasm, without having to be dishonest.
But when she smells trouble and wants to know again emphatically what I think of her new blouse, I decide whether I can honestly say that I don’t like it – which of course she does not have to worry about, after all it is only a matter of personal taste – or I ‘lie’ to please her that I do like it and then immediately change the subject.

It becomes more difficult when …