Analysis of a Survey
As children, most of us were probably taught the basic lessons of life. Our families tried to instill in us a sense of right and wrong, good versus bad. One of the first lessons we were taught was that of honesty. A related concept of honesty is truth. Truth is a concept we understand as children but eventually learn to manipulate as adults.
The dictionary states that honesty "implies a refusal to lie, steal or deceive in any way." However, formal definitions of both truth and honesty contain similar phrases, that is, adherence to or dealing with facts. The terms may or may not be interchangeable, but they are similar in that their foundations are rooted in fact. Telling the truth usually means dealing with the consequences. Sometimes this moment of reckoning is instantaneous. Lying has its consequences as well, but for the most part, these can be postponed to a later date and time. I presume this is one of the reasons why we lie in the first place. As adults, I believe that the vast majority of us have twisted or stretched the truth at one time another in order to serve ourselves better. Is this right or wrong? This line of thought triggered contemplation on one of life's mysteries--is honesty truly the best policy?
Many of my friends and colleagues were aware that I had been coping with a situation where people were lying to me. In my case, the consequences were devastating and these people knew I had been extremely hurt and angry. However, in related conversations regarding these circumstances, I was astounded to learn that not everyone shared my opinion that lying was wrong. I had a difficult time accepting this notion but these people insisted that there were times when it was better not to t...
... middle of paper ...
.... The difficulty here would be in making the questions as non-threatening as possible. If a respondent felt uncomfortable with the survey, the results could be skewed. I also feel that additional queries would provide the data necessary to make more thought provoking assumptions and analysis. Nevertheless, I found that conducting this survey was an educational experience and one I would not mind repeating.
I feel that truth and honesty are closely intertwined. I believe that if you are honest, whether it be with yourself or another person, the truth will come out. I discovered through this survey that things are sometimes not as obvious as they may seem. More importantly, I saw that honesty is something that often must be measured and weighed before being presented. Though I prefer honesty to lies, I can understand how it could throw equilibrium out of balance.
Traditionally, it is agreed that any and every form of telling the truth is always the best thing to do. In the essays of Stephen L Carter and Stephanie Ericsson, this ideal is not exactly true. It is expressed in "The Insufficiency of Honesty" as well as "The Ways We Lie" that honesty is hard to come by and that there is more to it than believed. The authors convey their views by first defining what the concept is, picking it apart, and then use common occurrences for examples of the points they had made.
1984, a novel by George Orwell, represents a dystopian society in which the people of Oceania are surveilled by the government almost all the time and have no freedoms. Today, citizens of the United States and other countries are watched in a similar way. Though different technological and personal ways of keeping watch on society than 1984, today’s government is also able to monitor most aspects of the people’s life. 1984 might be a dystopian society, but today’s condition seems to be moving towards that controlling state, where the citizens are surveilled by the government at all times.
Philosopher Immanuel Kant has a completely different perspective on the moral righteousness of lying. Kant believes it is unethical and sinful to lie no matter what situation presents itself. “Kant finds it especially offensive, contrasting the ‘dim, moles’ eyes fixed on experience’ with the ‘eyes belonging to a being that was made to stand erect and look at the heavens’. Kant believes in the ideology of promise keeping and if you break your promise, it is considered
Telling the truth can have some consequences, but a lie can cause more damage in a relationship once it has been figured out. People believe that by just lying, a problem is solved, but problems start when lies are told. Lying destroys relationships and truth builds honest relationships which, can last forever. In both F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Rob Marshall’s Chicago, characters lie because they feel that it is easier. However, lying leads to a downward- spiral. The society we live in can either lead us to a complicated relationship with the truth or easygoing. The problem with constantly telling lies is that it starts off with one, then leads to another until everything you say is a lie. Being truthful
When you 're being honest with people, generally they are trying to be honest with you, so it makes the communication process much easier. I abhor the idea of lying to people just for the purpose of reaching your own goals. Even when he or she succeeds I do not think there can be felt a whole lot of satisfaction from the accomplishment based on lies. Maybe I am sounding too idealistic but I strongly believe that our society would be much better if only people became more honest to each other. Primarily, the issue of honesty is concerned with politics and often we can see many crude and brutal crimes made against humanity, which could have been prevented if from the very start people were not deluded by the politicians '
When you’re honest about the things you do, you don’t have to carry burdens about lying. Being honest can lead you to being happy because you made the right the decision to begin with. Doing honest deeds are rewarded to the people who tell the
People tend to lie in everyday conversations to look and feel more likable. What if the truth could set you free, help make friends, or even be a part of a life long friendship? The argument usually brought up is, "Is it always best to tell the truth no matter the consequences?" I've been in certain situations were lies have caught up with me. That is to say, there isn't one way out of a lie, and you usually have to admit the truth one way or another. Some people think that lying isn't a big deal as long as they are small (white lies), but with enough of them you will be caught in the middle with no way out. You will be trapped in your lies, and don't ever think more lies will fix it! Lying isn't a good habit, and could trap you from a world of justice and incorruptible friends.
People are always cautious when it comes to the fine line between deception and the truth. Throughout our lives we are told not to deceive anyone otherwise we would eventually lose them due to our deviousness. However, the same could be said about telling someone the truth. How often can we find someone who has honestly never deceived or lied to someone in their life even if it was unintentional? Why is it wrong to deceive someone? What if they are better off hearing a lie from your lips instead of the cold, hard, and brutal truth? Or what if they are in danger of harming themselves and you need to tell someone, but don’t inform the person in danger that ...
Abuse can cause countless medical problems to the body. A person who is addicted will continue to stimulate themselves regardless if they are aware of the negative chain reactions. Once addicted, it becomes difficult to stop due to how the body has become dependent. Health will be harmed the more a stimulant is used. Health effects include: cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, lung disease, mental disease, birth defects. Mental health is what keeps a person in the right mind to make better decisions and have better control in life. Drugs have the ability to change mood and behavior. If drugs have affected the brain already, the desire increases which changes mental health. Some may not realize that they have been affected their health negatively. “A person who abuses drugs may not realize they have a problem until pronounced effects of drug abuse are seen, often physically. While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one 's health (Addictions Community). Since drugs create many health issues, treatment is not a simple task. Treatments are hard to obtain and addictions often go
III. Thesis Statement: Identity Theft is rapidly becoming a national issue because anyone of us could be a victim of identity theft. How we protect our self, keep our information private, identify any signs of identity theft, and report and repair our credit is up to each one of us. We have to be vigilant about our protecting ourselves from criminals.
When is lying okay? According to the article, “Honestly, Tell the Truth,” by Barbara Billinger argues that lying is not okay and that you should tell the truth, no matter what situation you’re in. I agree with the author Barbara explains to us that we should always tell the truth and not lie in anyway, and to always be honest.
Everyday people are faced with situations that they have to weigh their emotions out and decide if what their actions agree with their own internal moral code. Everyone faces challenges where they want to be successful, but at the same time want to be virtuous. To be virtuous means to have a morally good character. (Webster Dictionary) These issues are something that philosophers have been attempting to find the ethically correct answer to for centuries. One ethical dilemma that people are faced with daily is lying. A lie is an intentional false statement. Many people feel the need to lie to make themselves feel better or to get out of something they have done wrong. It is clear that in those situations it is morally wrong to lie, but what
Honesty means that we shouldn’t deceive others or take things that aren’t ours. It means following the rules, and if you break one, don’t try and deny it, just own your mistake and accept the consequence. Additionally, it is important to learn from those mistakes. If we all just hid our mistakes, we would never learn.
I do not know of anyone who wants to be known as Pinocchio, the wooden boy who lies and in a result, makes his nose grow bigger. As an old proverb says, honesty is the best policy. I agree with being honest at all times. First, telling the truth to me, is always the right thing. When I catch someone in a lie, I just think to myself, what has come up of this world? A person’s truths and lies prove who that person is, and what that person is capable of. Second, people can earn a great deal of respect and trust from telling the truth. Now, people trust their “gut feeling”, but someone’s “gut feeling” should always be truthful. Respect is something that is earned, and at sometimes, given to people who do the things that they are supposed to do for themselves and for others. Last, most people were taught to tell the truth at a very young age. A truth is
To be honest is to be believed in to create a bond that will grow and prosper. To be dishonest is to be led astray to harm others to where they might get in trouble, injured, or even worse death and all bonds, present or future, will be no longer. Honesty is a means to build one’s trust. In the end, honesty can help a person go a long way, while dishonesty will lead to nowhere as stated by some of the Proverbs.