Isn't 100% honesty an illusion?

Question

I saw a documentary on liars last night: how 3-year-olds learn to lie, how people lie better as they get smarter, that, under scans, brains do not lie even if we try to conceal something, etc.

That got me thinking that, perhaps, being 100% honest all the time is a fabricated illusion. The point is that there are inconsequential lies (i.e., someone asks you how your day was and you say "Fine" when in fact you had a lousy day but won't go into details) and significant lies (i.e., if you cheated on your SAT exam and get a good score, something undeserved).

We all lie in one way or another, in big and small ways. I think the definition of an honest person (man, woman, child) is the one who lies the least. What do you think?

Answer 1

It's an illusion.

An honest person is the one who does not lie about important things, in addition to lying the least.

Answer 2

There's a difference between honesty and truth. The truth is what it is regardless of what we think about it. There are many things in life we get confortable with without really understanding. We know certain things about some things but don't know everything about everything. We live based on beliefs about things as much as we live based on knowledge of things. So, I can be honest when I tell you what I think, but that doesn't mean what I think is true. It is possible for me to be convinced that something is true when it isn't. This happens all the time. As long as I believe something is true, I am honest when I say it. A brain scan or polygraph will not detect whether what I am saying is true, only whether I believe it is true. If children are raised to believe that the united states is evil and it is good and heroic to kill all U.S. citizens, and as they grow up every time a bomb goes off in a subway or american soldiers are killed they see cheering on their own television stations, then they are honest in what they believe and honestly believe it is right to kill.
To get to your question, yes I think honesty is an intentional condition with people. None of us are perfect, but there are some of us who try very hard to be honest in our lives. The one thing I can tell you is I am very aware of any intentional lie I tell, no matter how small. It doesn't come naturally, and it isn't a habit. I know there are some people who lie out of habit, and are sometimes unaware they do. They've told me they have lied when they knew they didn't have to, when there was no reason to. I think there may be some things which I have become conditioned to believe and have been comfortable with, but in truth have not let myself see that they are really false ideas. Denial, I guess you could say. This is a form of dishonesty. To be an honest man, I should think I have to examine these aspects of my self in this puzzle also. But you see it is theoretically possible for someone to be honest 100% of the time, and still not have a single thing they say be true. There is a saying, "The older I get, the less attention I pay to what people say, and the more I watch what they do".

Answer 3

There is a saying in my community " A lie that does not hurt anyone but benefits is no lie at all" infact a person who lies under such situation is no liar and is considered great.
So when we see truth and lies we just need to measure up that is all. 'cos you can not live in this world without saying those little lies. So yes 100% honesty is a illusion but who wants to know thw whole truth either!

Answer 4

as humans, i believe we are incapable of %100 honesty. we lie because it's easier than telling the truth. humans are acustom to comfort, they will always take the easy way out. so if given a choice to tell the truth or lie, most will lie, if its easier and they can get away with it. a honest person, in my book, isn't somene who doesn't lie, but more someone ,who if given the choice, will pick the fact more than fiction. an honest might not lie if a situation is presented to them. but this doent mean they won't produce their own white lies if they truly feel it is justifed (i.e. letting your child believe santa is real instead of crushing their dreams). we all lie, period. some people just lie less.

Answer 5

I agree with you. We can't be honest all the time. But I would consider a person honest if they only lie about the inconsequencial things like "How are you doing?" Sometimes people only ask these questions to be polite and don't really want the answer.

Answer 6

I think honesty lies in the intention. I tend not lie to spare myself from negative consequences, or to make myself look better. I full accept the consequences of my behavior. I tend to lie to spare someone else's feelings. However, when asked a question directly I tend to give a direct and factual answer. I think that makes me an honest person.

Answer 7

Nothing in this world is 100% nothing is guarenteed.. I do not believe children lie, I believe they are taught to lie by watching and listening to there parnets. So maybe if you meet a very young child they will be the most honest with you but dont count on it..

Answer 8

100% honesty, why try? There are times and situations when it is appropriate to lie. I can't stand people who are "just telling it like it is" and use this as an excuse to be hurtful, negative etc.

Answer 9

Sometimes it comes down to our intent to be kind, instead of hurtful in honesty. But a sincere, reliable person has integrity and is more honest than most.

Answer 10

Yes. This is why we have the blood of Jesus, to forgive us of our sins. This is no reason to lie, for we must at least be honest with God at all times. Jesus loves you.