How honest are you?

[Andy Hamilton]

I was listening to a Radio 4 program the other day and a Californian fella was saying that his life had got infinity better since he had decided to tell the truth. this had meant no white lies just sometimes brutal honesty. I hope that I mostly live my life this way, I say mostly as there are times the odd white lie pops out to make life easier all round.

I have been known amongst some of my mates as the ABC as a result. Andy Broadcasting System. (the joke is that due to my dyslexia C becomes S) I have lost friends due to this but also made stronger friendships with other friends. ER making any sense so far?? All I am basically saying is that I think I agree with this fella. And you??

[frozenthunderbolt]

Still tell white lies, wish i didnt have too. i try not to, and when i do i make every effort to make them shatterproof wisbang ones.
I suspect at some point i will get sick of it and just say what i mean, at that point i'll be king of the world though so it wont matter too much

[baldowrie]

I don't tell lie and tend to not answer if the need calls for it. Yes some don't like it but those that except your that honest become firm friends. However because many lie you are perceived as always lying when they don't like the truth

[Millymollymandy]

Hmmmm never really thought about it! Mostly pretty honest I think! Little white lies maybe rather than hurt people's feelings i.e. "does my bum look big in this"? (not that my husband ever asks that )

[Milims]

I try to be as honest - and tactful as possible!! If I'm in a situation where it would be easy to tell a lie rather than bluntly tell the truth and hurt someones feelings I tend to pick out the positive in the situation - eg the other day an elderly gentleman asked my opinion on a web site he'd created - so I told him that it had a lot of very interesting content and that I personally liked its simplicity but unfortunately most other people liked all the bells and whistles on a web site.
For me tho - the truth depends on the light!

[Wombat]

I am generally honest but have een known to use the odd porky to save feelings. Mrs Wombat can ask me if if her bum looks big and I will say yes...................I LIKE big bums! (Female ones anyway _

Nev

[red]

I'm pretty honest. if nothing else its just easier to remember the truth!

I am opinionated too. - and not always liked for it. - himself is easy going and the last to give his opinion.. which means he is more likeable.. yet friends ask my advice on difficult subjects not his....
I still have friends.. so I can't be doing it all wrong!

I do tell white lies.., or avoid sometimes for example "hmmm..I'm not sure it entirely suits you' is better than 'good grief you look like a sack of potatoes in that!'

[Meredith]

Depends what you class as a lie. I think to tell the whole brutal truth all the time is a bit cruel. A little white lie oils the wheels of social interaction.

I try to be as truthful as possible but I've already told a lie this morning when a friend phoned me, I said "how lovely to hear from you". The truth was that at the time I was standing on the top step of a ladder trying to paint an inaccessable bit of the ceiling and the last thing I wanted was to do was to get down to answer the phone.

[Wombat]

Depends what you class as a lie. I think to tell the whole brutal truth all the time is a bit cruel. A little white lie oils the wheels of social interaction.

sorry for going off topic but this reminds me of an old quote, can't remember who from - "hypocrisy is the vaseline of political intercourse."

Nev

[Thomzo]

I'm well known for saying what I think. I do try to be tactful where possible. I'm not any good at lying so everyone would know that I was doing so.

My outspokenness has got me into trouble (or maybe it got me out of it). I disagreed with my bosses at Farepak so often that eventually they asked me to leave. Well before the trouble hit!

Zoe

[QuakerBear]

I try really hard not to tell white lies. There are ways that you can tell the truth without hurting someone. Your mates bum may look gianormous in that skirt but you can still tell her that the skirt is not the most flattering thing she has tried on today and push here towards something else.

I try and also extend honesty to 'fessing up. Yes, I bodged it. Rather then let things lie as an unatributed mess/issue/problem. I find it really hard at times but in the long run it makes me feel allot free-er becuase I've not got anything hidden that could come back and bite me. I also try not to gossip (harder said then done )

Having said all that I do find it abit of a spiritual obligation. Without wanting to go all religious on you I'd like to paraphrase George Fox; 'The Lord taught me to act faithfully in two ways, inwardly to God, and outwardly to all'.

[Chickenlady]

I believe in being honest about the things that matter, but one person's 'brutal honesty' might, in fact, be a matter of opionion. So, you might be being tactful about the almighty size of somebody's bottom, or you might actually like big bums! Sometimes your opinions are best kept to yourself, and sometimes telling somebody the truth is not your business. I heard of a woman recently who told a little boy that she wasn't in fact his grandma and her son wasn't his dad. Both his parents had agreed to tell him this when THEY thought he was ready. Was her honesty anything other than spite? I don't think so.

A truer test of honesty might be to ask yourself what you would do if you saw somebody, anybody, drop a wad of cash in the street, then drive off before you could give it back (assuming that was your initial reaction). If you were strapped yourself, could you honestly say you would take it to the nearest police station?

Do you pinch stuff from work? Paperclips, pens, pads, stuff that probably nobody would notice? Is that honest? I bet that Californian chap cannot say, hand on heart, that he never does this kind of thing.

Jane (I am, of course, perfectly honest)

[QuakerBear]

Just had a thought.

If God is within us all, then being honest to Him is also being honest to yourself. Hhhmm. That's hard. There's lots I'd rather not admit to myself. This is an ongoing battle and my conscience is a strong foe for my ego to face.

[Martin]

well, if you're into honesty, that's politics out of the window as a profession

[red]

we sent a book of poetry as a present to a great-aunt. Great aunt phoned to say thanks, loved it.
her sister... grandma... told us with some glee how G-A had not liked the present when she opened it.

so grandma was honest.. but spiteful

g-a was dishonest (apparantly) but kind.

its not as clear as just being honest.