So-called “little white lies” are not so little. Anytime someone discovers that you lied to them, for whatever reason, they ask themselves., “What else has he lied to me about?” And this seed of doubt can grow big enough to destroy trust. The ultimate test of the wisdom and propriety of a so-called white lie is whether the person you lied to is more likely to thank you for caring or to conclude that you can’t be completely trusted. – Michael Josephson