Lies and Damned Lies

Lynch had me with everything he was saying throughout chapter 9 about the value of honestly and truth and the multiple layers of destruction that can come from lies... until he shouted out this loophole. When explaining something such as "tall tales," he explains that those are lies, but they're okay due to the fact that the person knows they're being lied to. Although embellishing the truth is something I know many people do routinely, I'm not with him in saying that they're harmless in such a manner. I think that someone who routinely tells you fibs will eventually start to degrade their own integrity. If lying is speaking something that you know is wrong, I'm leaning more toward the Kantian view that even these kinds of acts are degrading to one's own integrity. It's true that some people would weigh this description at different weights, as I'm sure we all have some relative who makes up stories and we think it's adorable. But at the same time, can we safely say that we'd trust these people to tell us the truth in a serious situation? I have trouble defining when people are embellishing the truth as a means to be cute, and when they're embellishing the truth because they're looking for more power, ie. messing with your emotions by making the story more impactful.
I don't agree with Kant that there is never a good time to lie, indeed if it's the matter of saving someone's life the answer is clear to me, and in turn I feel that this kind of lie can add to someone's integrity. Here's what I mean: Say I'm hiding out at my friend Jessica's house, and I hear wind that someone is coming for me. If she hides me and lies to the kidnappers about my being there, she has technically told a lie to them. However, it adds to her own integrity because the lie she told wasn't to hoard power over the kidnappers, it was to ensure my own unalienable rights, such as the one to life. In addition, her own integrity can get a little boost due to the fact that she is trustworthy with not only the truth about me, but when it's more important to sacrifice her own morals about lying for a friend's rights.
Lynch is sure to emphasize the power of intention early on, and it's something with which I truly agree. The same result can come as a consequence of differing intentions, but since it won't always be the case, having moral truths to guide your actions is the best policy. In the end, if everyone does what they feel is right by maintaining their moral integrity in their actions, the good will come out in the wash.