What is honesty and integrity? To me honesty is telling the truth, pretty simple. Integrity is the hard one because it is being honest even when it’s not to your advantage. In other words you can’t pick and choose when to be honest. Lying by omission is still lying, as is leading some one to believe something that is not true just buy the way you state the facts.
The white lie is still a lie. If someone ask for your opinion, give it honestly and your reason why you feel that way. You should not worry about hurting some feeling when giving an honest answer. If they get made at you, they shouldn’t have asked the question if they were not ready for an honest answer. I personally never ask a question until I’m ready to hear the answer.
Remember the easiest person to lie to is oneself. Lying and self delusion seem to be our greatest pastime. Can I really afford this house when I’m already up to my I eyeballs in dept. Oh, everything will work out. We delude are selves into believing what ever it is we want instead of facing the facts. To be honest with anyone else you first must be honest with yourself.
Part of having integrity is saying what you mean and meaning what you say. This way when you make a statement the people around you don’t have to decide if you are being honest this time or not. Don’t use confusing language or be purposefully misleading in you statements. The American English language is already confusing enough with out purposefully trying to mislead our audience.
If you realize that something you said is untrue, because your understanding of the facts has change, admit it. Let everyone that’s involved know what happened and your reasoning and move on. We can’t know everything and we must make statements and decisions with what information is at hand.
Just remember, once you are known as a liar and you really need to tell some that the house is on fire and they need to get out they just might not believe you.
Thanks for sharing the address to this blog, how did you know that I spend a lot of my time looking for and following and bookmarking blog spots.... most of the ones I follow are CHRISTian Fiction Writers, but I'm open for anything... Honesty/Integrity is a very good post and I will try not let my mother bias come into play. It made a lot of sense to me and as you said other that a few spelling errors it leaves the reader with "food for thought". It is going to be wonderful to come and share your thoughts and interest and please don't be surprised or mind if I leave a lot of love, smiles and hugs behind when I leave..... I am mostly a copy and paste person....I share what others have shared with me....Maybe I can learn how to express myself better, by coming here often.....now for that love and those smiles and hugs.....until next time....
ReplyDeleteAnytime Mom, Love you.
ReplyDeleteVery nice thoughts expressed here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment.It made my Day
Brigid
Thank you , and I was only half joking as I was expecting along passionate engagement.
ReplyDelete:-)
I see some black and white morality problems here.
ReplyDeleteIf I lie to save someone's life, am I doing wrong? Should I tell the truth and let them die?
It's situational, but I think the point should be made.
What about Santa, or pratical jokes?
I would like to see this mythical situation that lying is the only way out or to save someones life. But, if that is what you determine needs to be done do it and dill with the consequences after.
ReplyDeleteSanta lie or is it? Kids might get some joy out of it, but when you found out did you ever realy trust your parents after?
Practical Jokes stupid lie and is usualy one person trying to say I'm better or smarter than the other... na nana na.
To me life is pretty simple; why complicate it.