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02-14-2011, 06:41 PM
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For the scholarly...
In my College Compostition class we are required to write a3-page double spaced essay about honesty. I have decided to post it here in hopes some would like to stop by and provide some peer editing. i am not asking for anyone to tell me what to do or how to do anything, just really more or less HOW I have done and should anyhting be changed. Names changed to protect privacy. Thanks for the help all!
Himmler Himself
College Composition
College instructors name here
13 February 2011
"Honesty is the cruelest game of all, because not only can you hurt someone – and hurt
them to the bone – you can feel self-righteous about it at the same time" Dave Van Ronk,
American Guitarist, Song Writer, 1936-2003
What does this quote mean to you? To me it means honesty is not always a good thing,
nor is it always a requirement. Honesty can be a great thing but it can hurt as much as it helps.
To tell a child about the passing of a loved one, or the lack of a parental figure, or even the
disappearance of a beloved pet can have an entirely detrimental effect on them, and done at an
early enough age can completely change their outlook on many things.The blatant truth
towards adults in many situations can have its own evils as well. Honesty can cost you your job,
put a negative impact on a relationship, stress friendships and do a great deal of other damage in
your day to day life.
This is not to say honesty is bad all together, and that lying is a good thing. Simply
stating,there are times when it is worse than telling a lie. Honesty in many situations, in fact, in
most situations is the better of the two evils. You have to weigh the risks for each, and do so
carefully. Suppose covering for a friend puts you in a graver situation than the truth would leave
them. It is true that friends mean a lot to each of us but does that mean you would rather take the
risk of losing your job in order to save a friend from being written up? Obviously this may stress
your relationship between you and your colleague but your employer may look upon this
favorably. Honesty obviously has a much stronger way of instilling trust between people than lies. It is in these situations when it is much more beneficial to tell the truth.
Honesty can take many other forms. It can also be used in the form of expressing an
opinion.This can hurt you often times more than it can help you. Unwanted opinions can
definitely hurt, irritate, or anger many people. Whether it is about the way somebody dresses, or
looks, or it could go as far as beliefs about religion or politics. There are many other subjects that
can fall into this category. Differing opinions, even amongst the most polite company, rarely can
be a good thing. Arguments can get started, feelings can get hurt, and friendships can even be
destroyed. In this way, even in the interest of honesty, there are some things that are just better
left unmentioned.
Then there is the subject of the “little white lie”. This is very easy to take too far. What
may seem like a harmless untruth to one can be a big deal to another. To tell a parent or loved
one a lie about where you have been might seem harmless to one, but to the other it can be
hurtful and leave them with a lack of trust. This has many more aspects than just a parent and
child thing. When your spouse asks you if certain clothes look bad though, it can be tricky.
Situations like this one are probably better left to the discretion of the person on the receiving
end of this question, as the answer would probably depend on how well you know your mate,
and whether or not they want an honest answer. Sometimes the honest answer can cause more
problems in this situation than it is worth, and so it would be better to tell a “white lie”, or a
small, seemingly harmless untruth. Other times, the total truth would be the best way to go, as
nobody wants to see a three-hundred pound woman in a halter top and mini skirt.
There are definite moral implications involved with telling the truth, although they are
not always as clear as black and white. Morals themselves can take on several different tones and
definitions, as well as variances from person to person be it outright or subtle. Honesty and lies
can both be varied given an individual’s moral standpoint. Some people will tell the truth or lie
habitually, while others will choose one or the other as they see fit for the matter at hand. One
person may feel honesty in a situation is the best route, while another, facing the same
circumstance will pick a falsehood. Others will find it wise to differ in their course of action
depending on who the person is they are interacting with. A prime example of this would be to
tell a close friend how you honestly feel about a co-worker, yet turn around and tell that same
colleague the exact opposite in order to save face in the workplace.
Some individuals choose to ignore honesty all together and adhere to the opposite path.
They do it habitually, incessantly, and exclusively. Some will lie to you about everything, be it
something as small as what they had for lunch or something as big as who they are. I once knew
a man who tried convincing me he had superpowers of sorts, such as being able to see in total
darkness and super strength. He couldn’t even beat me at arm wrestling. To make matters worse,
once he was caught up in one lie, he would switch to another. Once the lies had either
compounded or contradicted themselves into total uselessness he would switch to excuses, and
he had reasons for everything. Needless to say I did not spend much time with him. In almost
every conceivable instance the habitual liar is to be avoided.
The other end of the spectrum would be those that stick with total and complete honesty.
Their unfailing truthfulness can be as much of a downfall as unflinching dishonesty. They will
can have a habit of telling the truth at times when it will hurt the most, whether emotionally,
socially, or other. Their loose lips can also hurt you by allowing things you did not want to be
known to be aired openly, as in letting the proverbial “cat out of the bag”. They can get you in
trouble and cause distress among you and your relationships. They can and will express the truth
in all its wanted and unwanted states freely because, like the compulsive liar, that is what they
know and who they are.
In closing, honesty can be as much of a double edged sword as dishonesty. It can help as
much as it hurts and it can build as much as it destroys. The truth has its moments of necessity
and its unwanted moments. It can be nearly as dangerous as a loaded gun and the user must be
mindful of where they point it and who it is pointed at.
