An Examination and Understanding of Honesty
Honesty is known widely as one of the most important of moralvirtues. Parents teach their children about the importance of honesty, andmany of our movie heroes are described as honest. A basic definition ofhonesty is relatively simple, and is consistent with the common image ofhonesty. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines honesty as:"fairness and straightforwardness of conduct" and "adherence to the facts: Despite the apparent simplicity of the definition of honesty, acritical and thorough look at the concept of honesty is often more complexthan it first appears. For example, the concept of a "white lie", is aninteresting twist on the idea of honesty. A white lie is usually seen asan innocuous euphemism for an untruth that is often considered trivial,diplomatic, or well-intentioned. Most individuals who would otherwiseconsider themselves an honest person commonly tell white lies. White liesare most commonly told in order to spare a person's feelings. Perhaps a better understanding of honesty lies on an examination ofwhy we are honest, and how white lies fit into this understanding. The
However, even the consideration of a simple example shows thathonesty is a complex topic. Thefriend's feelings may be hurt, and the friendship may be damaged as aresult. While honesty is truly "fairness andstraightforwardness of conduct" and "adherence to the facts: SINCERITY", italso incorporates a great deal more into a complex definition. Thus, we see thatalthough honesty can be hurtful, it can ultimately be the most caring andhelpful course of action. Honestymust be weighted closely with the potential consequences of telling thetruth. According to thesimple definition of honesty, the "adherence to the facts", an honestperson would have to tell the friend that the shirt made them look chunky. " Here, the friend's ego is appeased, and you have not lied aboutliking the shirt. Further,a truthful reaction to the question may have stung immediately, but it mayhave made the friend consider that they were actually beginning to gainweight. However, the result of this revelation may be to hurt your friendsfeelings, to undermine their self confidence, and to take away the joy thatthey experienced from wearing the new shirt. However, this difficulty and potential for hurt feelings may simply be anecessary component for honesty and greater understanding and growth. We have all heard the phrase "brutally honest" referring to aperson's tendency to tell the truth, no matter how potentially hurtful. In response to the friend's question, a helpful answer maybe a tactful, "it's nice, but I think your blue shirt is so much moreflattering. In conclusion, honesty is much more than the simple definitionprovided by Merriam-Webster. Perhaps the best course of action in the above example, and in manyother instances, is to attempt to marry honesty with tact andconsideration. easy answer, of course, is that honesty is an important part of creating ameaningful, truthful world, and an important part of forging worthwhilerelationships with other people.
Common topics in this essay:
SINCERITY Despite,
,
Online Dictionary,
definition honesty,
white lies,
answer course honesty,
straightforwardness conduct adherence,
conduct adherence sincerity,
fairness straightforwardness conduct,
simple definition,
honest person,
fairness straightforwardness,
straightforwardness conduct,
adherence sincerity,
honesty policy,
tact consideration,
conduct adherence,
|
Acceptance Essays
