Is honesty the best policy?

[Randy]

Is honesty the best policy or are white lies acceptable?

Explain your answer.

 

[Nebulous]

I think honesty is the best policy when it comes to important things, but a little white lie over something trivial to spare someone's feelings is harmless. Like the age old question "Does this dress make me look fat" ... always say NO

 

[PGen98]

Anything important, damn right be honest. Little white lies, though, so long as they're really harmless, yeah, they're fine.

 

[Uncrowned]

I like honesty as I have grown to not care what other people think and maintaining lies is too much effort.

 

[MamaFrankie]

Honesty is the way to go. I would rather be told what I need to hear than what I want to hear so that I know where I stand.

 

[passenger]

I like honesty as I have grown to not care what other people think and maintaining lies is too much effort.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!"
Sir Walter Scott

 

[Crys]

Honesty. It may hurt but I rather tell the truth. What's the point of lying? Me personally I would rather be told the truth too. Even white lies have the potential to become something more harmful.

 

[Nebulous]

I like honesty as I have grown to not care what other people think and maintaining lies is too much effort.

Not for some people. Some people are such good liars they start to believe their own lies, its like 2nd nature to them.

 

[MrDawn]

I think honesty is the best policy when it comes to important things, but a little white lie over something trivial to spare someone's feelings is harmless. Like the age old question "Does this dress make me look fat" ... always say NO

So, you're like Fletcher?

 

[tea4me]

I have a relative that tells me things that he knows I would like to hear, rather than the truth. This is so he can cover up his miserable life. I never know anymore whether to believe him or not. Talk about aggravating!

 

[passenger]

I have a relative that tells me things that he knows I would like to hear, rather than the truth. This is so he can cover up his miserable life. I never know anymore whether to believe him or not. Talk about aggravating!

Maybe he lies to you just to make you happy because he cares about your feelings and does not want to make you feel disappointed. ???

Just a thought.

 

[tea4me]

Maybe he lies to you just to make you happy because he cares about your feelings and does not want to make you feel disappointed. ???

Just a thought.

Very good point, and I think that is spot on.

 

[Black Angel]

If you are honest from jump, you wont have to worry about covering your ass later on. This is a philosophy that I always try to live by.

Honesty is the best policy, but there are some who try to weaponize it by being an asshole and then when called out on it, they say they were just being honest.

I have found that others say that they lied because they didnt want to hurt a person's feelings, and I tend to think that this is b.s. because while you can't control whether or not a person will be hurt, you can control whether or not they trust you. So in those situations, it is still better to come clean and tell the truth, deal with the fallout but still retain their trust.

If a friend of mine told me that they saw my husband leaving a hotel room with another woman who was all over him, I would be hurt and angry, but I would also appreciate my friend being honest with me about what they saw, than trying to spare my feelings by keeping quiet.

Also timing and place is a factor too.. such as if a man decided to propose to his girlfriend via Jumbotron, and she doesn't want to marry him, then that might not be the right time and place to say as such.. in that case it would be better to play along and say yes, make a quick exit and then when at home or somewhere more private, tell them the truth.