Depends. Intentionally omitting information in order to mislead? That's a lie. Simply not mentioning something? Or not mentioning it because it's embarrassing for you or someone else, because you didn't think it was relevant, or because it's not their business or not your business to share? Not really a lie. Not in the same way anyway.
this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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The intent matters. Did you omit something on purpose to serve your own agenda/narrative or did you omit something for some other reason.
If you’re omitting something to serve yourself it’s a lie.
A lie is based on intent. If you're purposely intending to mislead someone, whether by omitting information or by outright stating false information, then it's a lie.
I'd say it's technically a lie: an intentional misleading. Paltering is its close cousin.
People who palter often believe it is less unethical than outright lying
God I hate those people (no wonder the example used is a used car salesman)
I wouldn't consider it in a vacuum. I also look at intent and consequences. Did they omit info to gain advantage over others, or were they refusing to tell a Nazi where they hid the jews? Did their choice lead to a better outcome for everyone, or did it cause chaos and disrupt lives needlessly?
Everyone going "duh it's still a lie" - calling someone a liar carries a specific connotation which I don't think applies in all cases of so-called "lies". To me, a lie carries with it not just an intentional falsehood but an accusation or an accusable misdeed. I wouldn't call someone a liar because they hid jews from nazis.
Pretty sure not telling the nazi is still a lie. But an example of when it is ethical to lie.
Disagree
All lies are deceptions, but not all deceptions are lies
Lies are specific acts that are done, not acting is in itself not an act
Conservation of energy cannot be called an expenditure of energy
When people call something a "lie by omission" it's an attempt to shift the blame wholly to the other person rather than deal with the fact that part of the blame belongs to themselves
My silence was not a lie; you guessed about reality, and I just didn't correct you
You can still use it as a basis for future distrust and you can still use it as a reason to cut off or minimize future encounters
But it is not and should not be considered a malicious action against you as you would a lie
No, this is wrong. Withholding information is definitely a lie by omission and comes in many flavors.
Failure to report - Knowingly withholding information about a severe crime.
Obstruction of justice - Intentionally hiding or omitting details to mislead authority.
Accessory after the fact - Omitting or lying about information to avoid becoming an accessory to a crime
Material omission - Omitting crucial information in relation to a financial crime AKA fraud.
Your silence in these situations is most definitely a lie. I think you are stuck on only action being considered a lie, but inaction is considered a lie by omission in these situations. This is a legal definition, so please keep that in mind.
This just feels like mental gymnastics to me
I would disagree that omission is not malicious; the intent of the omitter can be any reason. Perhaps not malicious in every case, but it could be as ill-meaning as any lie.
Omission can be a lie as long as the intent is to deceive. Thats an important element to making something a lie
I run into this with my wife because we put different importance on different information, and I tend to go for succinct rather than take an hour to get something across.
I think the issue with this situation is often one person assuming they know what’s important and what’s not instead of letting the other person decide for themselves once they’re given the full info, it’s why omissions are often considered lies.
You’re actually not entitled to decide what others find important or not