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The Half-Life of Everything


A beautifully written and uplifting debut novel.
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David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

Created: 02/06/19

Replies: 9

Posted Feb. 06, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

After Kate gets better, David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close. Although it is for the greater good of the drug trial, they struggle to do so. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?


Posted Feb. 17, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Lois Irene

Join Date: 01/20/16

Posts: 76

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

I don't think that David and Kate had much choice about lying or misleading their friends and family about the drug trial. Even though it was very hard for them, I agree that I would do the same as they did in this situation.


Posted Feb. 18, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Maggie

Join Date: 01/01/16

Posts: 434

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

It is for the good of the drug trial so yes although it would be hard I would be able to do the same.


Posted Feb. 18, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
teachlz

Join Date: 07/28/16

Posts: 54

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

I don't think there is much of a choice. If it is part of a drug trial, one has to pay attention to the instructions, for the test to be valid, and help others.


Posted Feb. 18, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebeccar

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 548

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

I didn't really feel that this was so much being forced to lie as withholding the truth. If there is an experimental drug and patients/the family of patients are desperate for any glimmer of hope, then I do not see anything wrong with this. It also is important for them to not discuss it in order for the observation of placebo groups to be valid. This part of the book did not bother me or seem like a moral issue at all.


Posted Feb. 20, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barb23703

Join Date: 10/04/15

Posts: 102

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

To me, there was a lot of talk about "lying" to people, and in reality it was a nonissue. The heightened level of truth/lies discussion seemed in contrast to the attitudes and behaviors of the characters. You are going to participate in a socially repugnant relationship and other people's attitudes are brushed aside as "get over it," but you are going to worry over a question of "how are you better?" And unless you are the POTUS, I don't think the media actually cares to chase people down and lay in wait over drug trials. This just felt very contrived.


Posted Feb. 21, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Missys

Join Date: 10/24/17

Posts: 46

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

In this situation, yes, I could lie. True, it would be hard to sustain the lie, but for the "greater good" I could. I feel like the bigger "lie" here is the unusual relationship the three characters share. I feel close friends and relatives will be more hurt by that lie than how or why she got better.


Posted Feb. 22, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Peggy H

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 272

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

Not sure why they had to lie. Are there not lots of unproved drugs out there? Just not explaining us not necessarily lying. Probably Kate’s parents did not care how come she returned to herself; just the fact was enough. The mportant person to know was Jane, and that may have been why she agreed to the arrangement, knowing it might end medically.


Posted Feb. 25, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sandiev

Join Date: 02/25/19

Posts: 9

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

It would be difficult but I think because it was for the good of the drug trial I could lie in this situation.


Posted Mar. 07, 2019 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kdowney25

Join Date: 01/25/16

Posts: 183

RE: David and Kate are forced to lie to many people with whom they have been close for the greater good of the drug trial. Do you think you would be able to lie to those you care about if you knew that it was the right thing to do?

It actually didn't really seem like much of a lie to me, just withholding a bit of truth, as Rebeccar said. If not telling anyone about the drug study is a condition for participation, then you do what you have to do. I wouldn't have a problem with that.


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