White lie or misleading truth?

What is right, what is morally correct? A lie or a misleading truth? To understand this, I am taking two examples.

Paula Jones brought a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill Clinton while he was president. During the deposition for the Jones lawsuit, which was held at the White House, Clinton denied having sexual relationship with Monika Lewinsky– a denial that became the basis for the Lewinsky Scandal and the president's subsequent impeachment charge of perjury. 

He told that he did not have sexual relationship with Miss. Lewinsky but what American people understood was, he had not sex with her, and even representative of Carolina asked defence lawyer the same question. In defence argument, lawyer said that you are misinterpreted the statement of Mr. Clinton. He never said that he didn’t have sex with Miss. Lewinsky; he only talked about sexual relationship. (Watch the video) It is good example of carefully worded denial.

He could have told an outrageous lie but to maintain the dignity and moral code he told the misleading truth.

Here is the second example in Indian scenario. Before election, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal said that, he will end up ‘Laal Batti’ culture. What people understood that, their cabinet is not going to take the government vehicles. But after coming to power his cabinet ministers accepted the government vehicles without ‘laal batti’ and when asked about it by media, he told, “Yes, I had told that I will end up laal-batti culture but I never made a comment about not accepting vehicles.” So what would you call to this – a lie or a misleading truth? Actually he has not told any lie, but he put in such a way that people would misunderstood.

From these two examples, misleading truth may give temporary benefit. People do lie thinking other will not find that thing forever. But actually misleading truth is as bad as a lie according to me even if it pays certain homage to moral law and self satisfaction that 'I did speak truth.'

I conclude it by giving mythological example from the great epic Mahabharata.

Well, we all know this story of Guru Dronacharya and Dharmraj Yudhishthir. Battle was getting worse for Pandavas due to multiple aggressive attacks by Dronacharya. Lord Krishna gives solution to Pandvas that if we want Dronacharya to be dead, we have to find his weak point and his weak point was his son Ashwathama. So Krishna told Bhima to kill elephant named Ashwathama in their army during battle and asked Yudhishthir to tell that Ashwathama has killed if asked by Guru Dronacharya. Lord Krishna knew that Guru Dronacharya will surely ask Yudhishthir because he knows he never gonna lie. 

At that time Yudhishthir was in same situation of telling misleading truth. Bhima killed an elephant named 'Ashvatthama'. Then he loudly announced for all to hear, 'Ashvatthama' is killed. Ashvatthama is dead. Drona was stunned with grief. Asvatthama could not have been killed by anyone. He had the blessings of lord Shiva. Not able to believe Bhima, Drona turned to Yudhisthira and asked if that was true. Yudhisthira said, Ashvatthama is killed " Elephant not the Man " he added in a low voice and the last part of the sentence was lost in the loud blowing of the conch of Krishna, Panchajanya. Now, Drona was so full of grief that he put down his arms and with a sword, Dhristadhymna cut off his head. It is said that Yudhisthira’s chariot always, moved four inches above the ground. So strong was his commitment to dharma. He had never spoken a false word till that time. After this act, his chariot came down to earth and he became like any other mortal.

Even our mythology suggesting the same that, even if it is misleading truth, it is not better than a lie.

References:
http://www.urday.in/mdronacharyadeath.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_misconduct_allegations_against_Bill_Clinton
justiceharvard.org

~Digvijay Sanjay Patil