Let's say someone hijacks a plane and says he's going to throw all (ethnic, religious, sexual whatever group you belong to) people off the plane. You can fill in the blank. He goes from passenger to passenger asking each one if they were of that group. You feel your membership in the group is identity-defining. You love your ethnic religious sexual group and are proud to be one. What would you say? Telling the truth in this situation would be intrinsically bad. Of course, how often does that happen? I try to live by the words of Steve Goodman's song "Lookin' For Trouble."If no, then in which situations is it not?
Here's a nice version of that song. The first time you shade the truth
You want to run and hide
Your tongue gets tied
Your throat gets dry
Then you start thinkin' maybe no one knows you lied
And now you're shady all the time