Is honesty always the best policy ?

Question

Thanks so much .

Answer 1

I don't think so.

People hate me when I am honest.

They can't handle the truth.

Answer 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgmJ1miBz...

This lovely song, says it all.

Answer 3

Not always in a court of law.

Answer 4

NO

Answer 5

If this is a serious question, why should you believe any answer you get to it?

Answer 6

In times when one lacks the courage to be true and honest, it is preferable to abstain from opinion and remain silent.

Living a lie is all the more brutal to deal with the more it is prolonged. Critique administered with kindness is preferable to a harsh ill considered response that with hindsight requires profuse forgiveness to absolve, do unto others as one would be done by, etc etc blah ...

Answer 7

I really believe it is, however my attitudes do not always match my actions.  

Answer 8

By and Large,  YES!   Honestly!!!

Answer 9

Always!  It may not be as easy as telling a little white lie but, one lie leads to another!  In the end, it is always best just to tell the truth and get it overwith.  The truth always comes out in the end!

Oh, the tangled webs we weave,

When at first we try to deceive....

Answer 10

not in the business world....we have to think about how to earn money in a more cunning way. microsoft is the best example.

Answer 11

towards the self it is.

to others, i'm not so sure.

it's best to have a flexible mind and think on your feet.

Answer 12

with yourself...yes

with others...no

remember...the best is not always the suitable.

love

Pluto

Answer 13

It depend on the situation.

example.

If your girl friend is holding a knife.

It is not a good time to honestly tell her that she is fat.

Answer 14

It certainly is.  

It is kind of "useful", both ways  : It is  not only a comfort and relief to  the one who is being honest (even for practical reasons..) , but it also helps the others to understand better who the real person is.

Clear and open relationships are the ones we should care about.

Honesty is a prerequisite.

Answer 15

no, only if the other person apreciates the honesty and wont recriminate you for what you have to say

Answer 16

Depends on the situation. Please be more specific... unless you're looking to open up a philosophical debate on Yahoo! Answers.

Answer 17

Sometimes the truth hurts, white lies is the better policy.

Answer 18

not really. think about alll the times you said a small fib, oreven lied and try to imagine what would have happened if you told the truth! soometimes being honest is hurtful or just not th best way to go. So in most cases honesty IS the best policy, in others its not.  

Answer 19

Not always

I realized at one point in my life i realized that every thing that went through my brain didn't have to come out of my mouth.

Also- withholding information isn't the same as a lie? or is it?

My kids used to ask me to lie when they got a phone call that they didn't want to take.....I told them no, I would if they went outside.

Then i would say.....sorry he isn't in the house right now.

Your question is best discussed in the study of ethics.

Answer 20

h**l no !

Answer 21

I believe that yes it is. To be honest is to be courageous, and that is always respectable. Sometimes the truth does hurt and it may seem EASIER to tell a lie to get out of it, but then, "what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!". Lies will always catch up with you no matter how big or small, and to tell a lie is to lie to yourself as well. Your conscience will keep score. If you were in a situation where someone either could tell you the truth and hurt you deeply, or lie to you for a while and you eventually figure out the truth and know they lied to you... which is worse? No lie goes unnoticed, and it's more painful to know you've been lied to than to hear the truth. This is the same with white lies as well. A person who tells white lies soon becomes colourblind.

Honesty is the best policy, and you will earn respect not only from others but from yourself, knowing you are telling the truth and you are not hiding anything. Life suddenly becomes much more simpler, and people will believe what you say rather than doubting it.

Honesty is not a weakness and it is not rude. The phrasing may be rude but the truth is always the best way to do things, no matter how big or small.  

Answer 22

Honesty need not be blunt or rude.  

Honesty can and should be presented with loving kindness,compassion, and caring, respecting the emotional feelings of the other just as one might wish to be respected and treated.

Personal tact and diplomacy can turn a difficult situation into one that will be beneficial for all persons involved.

Be well and, please, be wise.

Answer 23

The majority of the time yes, however, sometimes a white lie is sometimes a better way to deal with something. As long as the lie is not malicious in an unkind way...

Answer 24

Absolutely not. In some instances it is best to lie. We all learned this growing up as we discovered the virtue of the white lie. But there are other instances where even large lies are better for everyone. In instances where, for example, a child has been adopted it may be better for that child to never know the truth. Though in many cases it would be best. Or say a marriage has suffered adultery. It may not be necessary to divulge all of the partners the cheating spouse(s) may have had.

You have to go on a case by case basis when deciding to tell the truth or not. Honesty is usually the best policy but not always. If you are going to lie though, you best make it a good lie. You need to be sure you can keep the truth from ever being discovered, it being discovered that you lied in the first place, and it must sound natural and be something you can remember and live with as though it were the truth.  

Answer 25

Not now.It was so in the world where all people were honest.You have to know when you can speak truth.

Answer 26

nope! some things are just better left unsaid..

Answer 27

It seems to be for me..