House MD Lies

Informed Consent

2006-09-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

A moral dilemma episode. Morals aren’t something House is overly concerned about. Which makes me wonder how far he will take the 17 year old clinic patient’s daughter crush on him.

I thought it was interesting when, after the 24 hour period passed, Ezra Powell knew House was lying to him about his bone marrow biopsy revealing multiple myeloma. Usually House is so good at “lying”, but this with patient, his lie was transparent as glass. Course it didn’t help with his team in the background not willing to go along with him on this one.

When House put Ezra Powell patient into a coma, instead of using the morphine to end his suffering, was that a lie? What do you think?

At the end, House told Cuddy he didn’t know anything about why Ezra Powell “died suddenly” – but he did. Another House-lie by omission. He knew Cameron did it. How is it he knew, I wonder? How is it he knew to find her in the chapel?

Did you realize it was Cameron who administered the morphine before you saw House rubbing her shoulder in the chapel?

I had. I’m not sure how I knew House hadn’t done it and Cameron had – must have been the great writing and foreshadowing in this episode!

Meaning

2006-09-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

Did House lie in this episode?

For a moment there (or two) at the end of this 3rd season opener, I thought House was wrong. This could just be me, but since House always “solves the mystery”, I thought that would have would have been an interesting twist to the show.

But, I have to admit, when it turned out that House’s diagnosis was correct, I was glad. Plus I’m liking the idea that Wilson and Cuddy are keeping that fact from House. They’re lying by omission to him. Which is interesting. I’m not sure I understand why Wilson insisted that Cuddy not tell House he was right. But I sure like that idea!

Do you agree with Cuddy or Wilson or not? Any ideas?

Any comments on why House sort of asked Cameron out for a drink? And why she said no?

Does House remind anyone of Hawkeye Pierce?

2006-08-30T09:26:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or does House remind anyone else of Hawkeye Pierce from the TV series MASH?

Both “lie” to get what they want.
Neither respects rules.
Neither follows the “traditional” way of doing things.
Both like to play pranks.
Both are addicts.
Both are doctors.
Both go to extraordinary lengths to save their patients.

I know House is likened to “Sherlock Holmes”, but I think House is a lot like Hawkeye Pierce, too.

What do you think?

Can't wait for the 3rd season

2006-08-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

The 3rd season is almost upon us. It’ll be interesting to see how House’s character grows, and how he, the patients, and the other staff members “lie” during this season.

During Euphoria, I wanted House to figure out a way to biopsy the dead cop’s brain. I wonder why he couldn’t find some kind of “lie” to tell Cuddy so that he could.

Any ideas on how House might have gotten to that dead guy?

Deception

2006-07-05T07:41:00.000-05:00

At first, I didn’t understand why House was so enamored of Anica. But then, it occurred to me, lying is a way of life for her, and as such, her psyche must have fascinated House.

It’s interesting that House believed her when she told him that she hadn’t done anything to herself to make it look like she had aplastic anemia. Why do you think he believed she was telling the truth?

Why do you think House believed this woman who lied about being sick to get attention – was actually sick?

Daddy's Boy

2006-06-21T07:59:00.000-05:00

According to House, his father has an “insane moral compass that won't let you lie to anybody about anything. It's a great quality for boy scouts and police witnesses. Crappy quality for a dad."

Revealing words about House’s childhood. Growing up, he probably couldn’t get away with lying. And he probably watched his father call anyone and everyone on their lies. Which makes House a lot like his father, doesn’t it? He’d probably hate to hear me say that.

I thought this episode did a great job showing the juxtaposition between the patient’s family who lied to one and another about anything and everything and House’s family who didn’t let anyone lie about anything.

At the end, the patient’s dad tells his son “he’s going to be all right”, even though we all know he isn’t. The dad lies to his son to protect him from the truth.

When House hears that lie, I wonder what he’s thinking – perhaps that’s why his father’s insane moral compass makes him a crappy dad – even if House was dying, his father wouldn’t lie to him to protect his feelings. I wonder how many times in House’s childhood that he needed to have his feelings protected, but had the truth instead? Were his parents there during his leg infraction trauma?

I’m not saying one parenting way is better than the other. But this episode sure gave us some great insight into House’s personality! I loved it!!

How do you know when House lies?

2006-06-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Did House lie to Cameron when he told her he didn’t like her? I mean, he doesn’t like anyone, right? So how is that a lie? If he’d have told her he liked her, wouldn’t that have been the lie?

So, if you read deeper into the scene (which I love to do) when Cameron asked House if he liked her -- it was the way he hesitated before he told her he didn’t that kind of made me go, hmmm, I wonder what’s going on there.

Anyway, I’ve been wondering -- when does House lie?

Have you noticed any behavioral patterns of House’s when he lies?

Understanding people -- do you?

2006-06-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

I don’t understand people. I don’t understand how they don’t understand how their actions affect other people’s actions.

Did you ever know a person who lied so much that they started to believe their own lies? I’ve known a couple of people like this. And they have to surround themselves with people who back up their “stories”. It’s never their fault, of course. It’s everyone else’s. They’re never wrong.

Course, come to think of it, House thinks he’s never wrong, so . . .

Who does House believe in? If not everyone is lying, how does House know the difference between who is lying and who isn’t?

Humpty Dumpty

2006-06-14T08:02:00.000-05:00

What are people hiding either knowingly or unknowingly in this episode?

The patient and his family are knowingly hiding things, but is House?

Did Alfredo’s mother know he was working the cockfights on Saturday nights?

Does House lie in this episode?

What do you think?

What makes a patient "House-worthy"?

2006-06-12T09:05:00.000-05:00

House is into “the psyche”. I wonder why he didn’t become a psychiatrist. I wonder what made him become a diagnostician.

I watched “Control” over the weekend. I think it’s an interesting study of House’s character. He lied for his patient. He put his career on the line for his patient in this episode. I wonder why he did that? He says it’s because she was his patient. I’m not sure if I believe him.

Perhaps he did it because he doesn’t “believe” his patients, but he “believes in” them.

I ask you this, then:

What makes a patient worthy enough so that House takes a stand for them? What makes a patient “House-worthy”?

What do you think?

Truth about lying. How often do we lie?

2006-06-09T06:59:00.000-05:00

The first episode of House I saw was “Cursed”. It hooked me. House hooked me – the way he tried so hard to get Chase and his father “together” and finally, when Chase opened up to him, told him the truth, that’s when House decided not to tell Chase about his father’s cancer. House didn’t lie to Chase, you might say, but still a lie by omission is still a lie. Perhaps it’s truth which makes House lie.

House won’t admit things aren’t the way he wants them to be, so maybe when someone else can face their truths, accept their reality – that’s what gets to House.

Is House a realist or a romantic?

What do you think?

Why do people lie?

2006-06-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

Fear, greed, and hate.

Psychologists agree that “lying to protect yourself is the most common sort of lie”. Self-deception is another. For example, ignoring warning signs of a grave illness (as do many of House’s patients).

As fascinated as he is by the “psyche”, I’m sure House studied psychology at some point during his career. He understands, perhaps even empathizes (although I’m sure he’d deny this ), with people who lie.

To me it seems House continually “lies to protect himself”. From what, I wonder? And, does he realize he’s doing it?

Hmmm. I’m not sure. Any ideas?

“Oh what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to deceive”

2006-05-30T07:11:00.000-05:00

What is a lie?

Here are some definitions from the dictionary:

A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.
Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.
To present false information with the intention of deceiving.
To convey a false image or impression: Appearances often lie.

What makes a person lie?

According to the philosophers Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant, there are no circumstances where a person can lie – one must (unfortunately) be murdered, suffer torture, or endure any other hardship, rather than lie, if the only way to protect oneself is to lie.

Perhaps this is why House believes everyone lies.

Does House lie?

Welcome, "Val", from the House MD Guide Editors

2005-11-17T22:40:00.000-05:00

We welcome "Val" who is taking over this blog and we are looking forward to reading up on the lies of "House MD".