The other day, I went to get my car's oil changed. While I was sitting in the waiting room, a young mechanic approached me. "Huh, did something happen?" I thought, and asked him what was going on.
"Um, the oil filler cap (where you pour the oil) is broken, and I can't proceed with the work unless we replace it."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, the plastic shape of the cap was a bit strange, and when I opened it, it broke."
This young guy's behavior is a bit odd. He seems flustered. I thought there were two possible scenarios: 1) He broke it himself and is trying to hide it. 2) It really was broken, but he's worried he'll be suspected of breaking it himself.
However, there's no way to prove who broke it (maybe the previous person?), or if it broke due to age. I felt there was no point in pursuing this matter. So,
"OK. I'll come back after buying a new cap, and I'll appreciate your help then!"
I said, and left. I realized that sometimes in daily life, there are situations where you can't find a reason to pursue the truth, and I felt a strange sense of realization from this incident.
PS. By the way, the term "white lie" exists in English. This is a lie that is harmless. For example, there was a person who became blind due to illness, and their beloved koi fish were eaten by stray cats (true story). However, the family continued to tell their blind owner "lies" about the color, size, and health of the koi fish.
So what about the opposite, "black lie"? This is a lie told for personal ego or profit, even if it harms others. You might experience this more often. Even many adults do this. Politicians also often do this (there's an election this week). Also, people who lie as if they are the victim when they caused the problem, etc. I feel there are quite a few such people in society. --- Black lies are troublesome, aren't they? They just turn into pitch-black lies mixed with more black.