Is It Better to Tell a Lie?
I have noticed in Hispanic cultures, and I am specifically thinking of Mexico here, that it seems to be more polite to lie than to tell the truth. For example, if I ask a friend if he is going to an event, like a football game, I have noticed that he will lie, telling me that he is coming when he has no intention of coming. My question is this: Are children in these cultures taught that it is better to lie than to risk offending someone by tellling them the truth? If so, is there a specific saying that they teach their children? Or is it just like the same thing we do here, e.g. lying about a bad hair style in order to not offend a friend?
2 Answers
Part of the difference is that the future tense is used to indicate that something might happen rather than something will happen.
The Spanish speakers are probably similarly confused by your using the indicative to declare things when you should really be using the subjunctive to ackowledge that you cannot declare them.
I like Lorenzo's explanation a lot. There are a number of cultures where careful wording and a selective use of the truth are part of what is considered Good Manners. I am certain that parents don't actually tell their children "you must lie"; in fact, most of them are as keen on teaching their kids proper values as you are. This is something that is learned over time, and it is a bit of an art: both what you are expected to say, and how you understand it.
You need to listen carefully to what people say, and eventually you'll learn to differentiate when they will definitely do what they said they would, and when they're just being polite, and are telling you what they think you want to hear.
Again, different cultures have different ways to express this, so I don't find it easy to give you examples. In some cases, people will smile rather than tell you "no". In some cases they will say: "Oh yes, we'll see you there". In some other instances they'll give you an evasive, non-committal answer.
It takes time to learn the language and the signals, but eventually you'll get it. 
