Are white lies OK if they are in the customer’s best interest?

An article I wrote recently for UXMag seems to have hit a nerve. In it, I discuss the upside to deception.

We are brought up to be honest. Lying is seen as a bad thing to do. Yet, often, in real life, deception is used to make life better for someone, not worse.

Parents can buy a lavender-scented spray called “Monster Go Away” that promises to banish scary creatures from under children’s beds or the depths of their closets.

Alzheimer’s patients at care facilities in Germany who feel the need to leave can sit and wait at a special bus stop outside the building until, five minutes later, they’ve forgotten they wanted to go home and the staff can invite them in for a cup of tea.

Check out the comments under the original article to see the various responses. Obviously I intended this to be a bit inflammatory, but I still stand by what I wrote. What do you think?