Honesty - Is it always a good thing?

[Tank]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fOXTNn0m5dA/SaynUvzBplI/AAAAAAAAFC4/-a08b6zS5IU/s1600/honesty.jpg

Is it possible to be too honest?

[Skyryder]

Is it possible to be too honest?

Yes. Then it becomes rude.


Skyryder

[Subike]

If you are representing that as being honest, then you have a poor idea of what honesty is.
Honesty is not abuse, Honesty is not releasing YOUR personal attack upon another person based upon YOUR asumptions of whot or who that person is,
Your example is exactly that, abuse, not honesty.
Honesty when given in truth will always be the best thing to do. It cannot be tripped up, it does not hide behind fear, it does not need Greed as a partner, neither does it exist in paralell with hate.
Honesty will get you out of more difficult situations than lies, no mater how bad the situation may seem.
Honesty needs to be exerscised with wisdom, patience and a mind that is not befuddled with any negative crap like hate, vengence or racisism.
Honesty is a strength of personality that will take you a very long way in life,
as opposed to decieit, which will trip you up no matter haw clever you are.

Now all I need to find is a spell checker lol

[The Stranger]

Yes. Then it becomes rude.


Skyryder

Ah, so the labour party didn't want to be rude then?

[Mom]

Ah, so the labour party didn't want to be rude then?

No, they withheld the truth to avoid hurt feelings of course Mr Silly.

[Burtha]

Of course its good to be honest, but your example is just based on abuse rather than honesty.

Wanting to tell the truth all the time in a non-aggressive manner would be more like it. I'm good at it - always getting myself into trouble for being too honest and dobbing myself in !! :doh:

[Skyryder]

The other thing with honesty is the question. Do you tell someone what they want to hear or the truth?

Skyryder

[The Stranger]

The other thing with honesty is the question. Do you tell someone what they want to hear or the truth?



Or, do they have any right asking the question or knowing the answer anyway?
Declining to answer may give away a truth that they are not entitled to therefore a lie may be the only solution.

To answer the title question - in my view, honesty isn't always a good thing.

[LBD]

Honesty without tactfullness can be harmful and abusive...

Be honest in every thing especially to your self, but dont dish out honesty where it is not wanted, it is better to keep your silence in those cases.

Honesty used with tact and consideration for others, is a good thing and is its own reward....IMO

[Bass]

My mum is quite ill. She is 84 and has pancreatitis and renal failure.
She asked me about the health of her neice's husband, who has multiple myeloma. This is an incurable condition and so the treatment is all about buying time.
Honesty was always paramount in our household and so I told her that he is not responding at all to the chemo.
She didn't need to hear that at the moment, but I would have been breaking faith with her to do anything else.
Too honest?
I don't know.
But I do know that honesty can be really hard sometimes.

[Mikkel]

Be honest in every thing especially to your self, but dont dish out honesty where it is not wanted, it is better to keep your silence in those cases.

Now that there is right on the money! :niceone:

[MotoGirl]

Sometimes it's better to just say nothing if your honesty is likely to cause trouble by upsetting someone. There is nothing to be gained by being honest if the person listening isn't going to absorb what you're saying. People sometimes need to see things for themselves so they discount anything that may point out something they are not yet ready to see.

[Skyryder]

Or, do they have any right asking the question or knowing the answer anyway?
Declining to answer may give away a truth that they are not entitled to therefore a lie may be the only solution.

To answer the title question - in my view, honesty isn't always a good thing.


On that basis a lie is not necessarily a bad thing either. But I doubt if those that are lied too would agreee.


Skyryder

[Skyryder]

My mum is quite ill. She is 84 and has pancreatitis and renal failure.
She asked me about the health of her neice's husband, who has multiple myeloma. This is an incurable condition and so the treatment is all about buying time.
Honesty was always paramount in our household and so I told her that he is not responding at all to the chemo.
She didn't need to hear that at the moment, but I would have been breaking faith with her to do anything else.
Too honest?
I don't know.
But I do know that honesty can be really hard sometimes.

Yes Good post. I have always held the view that if you think you may not like the answer do not ask the question.


Skyryder

[Bass]

Yes Good post. I have always held the view that if you think you may not like the answer do not ask the question.


Skyryder

That works pretty often but sometimes you NEED to know and so just have to face it.

e.g. Do I have HIV doctor?

Sometimes ignorance can be bliss but it just may not a tenable position.

Also, there are a few people out there (like my mum) who would rather have the truth, no matter what.

[Forest]

That was an awesome film.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aizy3iBEK0g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aizy3iBEK0g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Clockwork]

While we're on the subject people...


does my bum look big in this? :shake:

[Tank]

While we're on the subject people...


does my bum look big in this? :shake:

That is a question that no straight man would ever ask.

[Skyryder]

That is a question that no straight man would ever ask.

Don't recall hearing to many woman asking that either:doctor:

So maybe you can 'lie' about bums............ but only if ya gay:apint:


Skyryder

[LBD]

She didn't need to hear that at the moment, but I would have been breaking faith with her to do anything else.
Too honest?
I don't know.
But I do know that honesty can be really hard sometimes.

Right call, What would hurt your Mum the most, the ill health of a nieces husband or a lie from a son?

[2much]

It's a stupid question... when the missus asks how many chicks you've fucked in the past do you tell her the truth?


FUCK NO DUMBARSE!!!

[Maki]

It's interesting question. Many people struggle to be honest with themselves so how can they possibly hope to be honest with other people...

A wise man once said: "Always tell the truth because then people will believe you if you have to tell a lie."

And no, honesty is not always a good thing. There are situations when it can be counterproductive.

[crfchick]

Honesty is usually the best option I think - what is the point is beating around the bush, and particularly in just telling people what they want to hear. Although I do like that line "ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies"!

[007XX]

As Skyrider said earlier: "If you can't take the answer, then don't ask the question".

I have learnt to be more diplomatic in the delivery of the answer, but lying to someone who is genuinely wanting an answer is just not an option.

Then, there is the situation when telling the brutal truth to someone is the best thing that can happen to them.

How many of us once upon a time have wanted to spare the feelings of a person and so ommited to tell them the truth? Then further down the road found that we should have been more honnest as it would have been the better path?

In doubt, be true. At least, you can't regret being honnest. Being deceitful, even by ommission, however...

[LBD]

And no, honesty is not always a good thing. There are situations when it can be counterproductive.


In fact honesty can be down right deadly... just imagine answering the following truthfully....Does this make my bum look fat?:angry2::Oops::bash:

[Clockwork]

That is a question that no straight man would ever ask.

So I shoiuld have phrased it "Does my bum look big on this Firestorm?"

oh well.... as long as I'm "out", busy this weekend?