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Honesty Essay | Essay on Honesty for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Honesty Essay: The importance of honesty has been instilled in us since the very beginning. Even though very preachy in its tone, it indeed is a wise thought. We were taught about it in the closed confines of our Moral Science classes in school; as we grew up, practical life taught us a lesson on the importance of being honest.

The quality of being truthful is an essential human quality. Not everyone dares to stand by and speak the truth always. People should garner this quality in themselves. The topic of Honesty is a popular topic among school students on which they are asked to write compositions. We have provided useful samples below.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Honesty for Students and Kids in English

A long essay of 450-500 words has been provided it is useful for students in classes 7, 8, 9, and 10. For the reference of students in Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, a short essay of 100-150 words has been provided.

Long Essay on Honesty 500 Words in English

Benjamin Franklin once said a famous proverb that goes: “Honesty is the Best Policy.” The significance of this one proverbial phrase has been imposed upon us from right at the beginning. Back when we were kids, all of our parents and teachers taught us how to be honest and truthful under all circumstances. Back then, we might have found their preachings too wise to take into account, but the necessity and the consequences of being honest to have been realized over time. Over time, as we have grown up, life has taught us how immensely valuable the quality of honesty is, through various situations and dilemmas.

What exactly is Honesty, then? In simple words, Honesty implies being truthful to others; above all, it means being true to ourselves first. Honesty does not only mean speaking what is right; it means upholding the truth. Being an honest and wise person means standing by the fact, speaking it, embracing it, and always supporting it.

Often life poses before us certain circumstances that compel us to take the wrong way and speak a lie. We tend to get dishonest under certain situations. The path of dishonesty is a very alluring one. When one person realizes that they can get away with a misdeed owing to falsification, one tends to be dishonest repeatedly. Initially, it indeed is very tempting; however, in the grand scheme of things, the truth and the truth only find its way to glory. Being dishonest leads one down a spiraling hole, from which it is difficult to recline.

To err is human. All of us commit mistakes; nobody is perfect. Even the most honest of people can sometimes give in to dishonesty. One may find oneself in a very confused position in life that demands one to lie. It is very tough always to maintain an honest posture. However, one is forgivable if one realizes one’s misgivings over time.

Our conscience helps us to determine and consider that which is moral and that which is immoral. An inherently unwise person would repeatedly suppress the voice within themselves that asks them to tread a path of honesty. For their petty gains, they would resort to dishonesty. Such a deliberate attempt to tone down one’s inner voice to repeatedly falsify facts is not worth forgiving. It is neither of any benefit; because the truth always finds its way into the light.

There is one stark difference between being deliberately dishonest and fending white lies. White lies are lies that we all say once in a while to make up for situations we are put in. White lies do not have any casualties; they are harmless. White lies have no significant lousy impact on the one who tells it or the one who is said. They are justifiable.

However, under all circumstances, we should always try to remain honest. With honesty comes wisdom and peace of mind. The quality of being honest is very intellectual and one by which we all should abide.

Essay on Honesty

Short Essay on Honesty 150 words in English

Honesty is one such human quality that should be practiced and followed by everyone. The cannon of honesty ushers in other valuable cannons of trust and respect. With honesty, comes wisdom and boldness. The truth might not always be charming to hear or know; however, an honest person should always uphold it. Honesty requires boldness.

The power of truth is extreme; it tends to cripple a person. Thus, the act of being honest is a courageous one. Being dishonest and the act of repeatedly lying might seem like an easy way out of situations; it is not valid. The truth always triumphs overall. The truth glorifies the right and condemns the unjust. Being honest is an indication of being mature of standing by what is right.

10 Lines on Honesty Essay in English

  • The aspect of honesty is essential in our lives.
  • Honesty implies being truthful to others and oneself.
  • Before we are truthful to others, we must be honest with ourselves.
  • If we deny the truth ourselves, there is no way in which we can offer honesty to the world.
  • Dishonesty, lies, and falsification of facts are only momentary and short-lived.
  • In the long run, the truth reveals itself and destroys the false.
  • Honesty makes one’s life simple and free of all complications.
  • The importance and the need, to be honest, should be taught to people from the very beginning.
  • Honesty instills a sense of respect and self-confidence.
  • Honesty should reflect not only in our words but also in our actions.

FAQ’s on Honesty Essay

Question 1. Is being honest necessary?

Answer: Yes. Being honest is essential. There are no two ways to go about life without being truthful.

Question 2. How can one be honest?

Answer: Honesty implies being truthful. By speaking the truth and doing what is right, one can become honest.

Question 3. Why is being honest important?

Answer: Being honest is important because being a dishonest person helps nobody in any way. The truth always finds away, and it suppresses the lies. Being false and dishonest has no bright prospects.

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A countryside landscape with a homemade box sign reading “EGGS £1.00” in the foreground, surrounded by fields and trees.

An honesty box on Dartmoor, England. Photo by Loop/Getty

The virtue of honesty requires more than just telling the truth

by Christian B Miller   + BIO

Listen to this Idea.

Honesty has fallen out of fashion, yet it is essential to self-improvement. How can we cultivate this neglected virtue?

There is little controversy that honesty is a virtue. It is an excellence of character. It also promotes trust, fosters healthy relationships, strengthens organisations and societies, and prevents harm.

Sadly, though, honesty has gone missing in recent decades. It is largely absent from academic research. It seems to be rare in society. And it is not commonly found in discussions of how to become a better person.

What is honesty? How is honesty related to integrity, courage and tact? Is it always best to be honest? What are the ways of failing to be honest? These are important questions, but you will be hard pressed to find discussions of them among scholars. In my field of philosophy, for instance, outside of the work of my own team, there have been only two articles on honesty published in the past 50 years .

So what is honesty? It is a character trait that leads us to think, feel and act in honest ways. Let’s focus on the acting for a moment. Naturally, honesty stands in contrast to lying. But it is much broader in scope than that. It also is opposed to cheating, stealing, promise breaking, misleading, bullshitting, hypocrisy, self-deception, and still other forms of wrongdoing. It works against all of them, and so is extremely broad and impactful in scope.

What do all these behaviours have in common? What is at the core of honesty that enables it to cover so much moral ground? The answer, I think, is that honest behaviour is a matter of not intentionally distorting the facts as the honest person sees them.

Consider a student who lies about his grades to his parents. He is misrepresenting his academic performance on purpose to his parents. Or consider an athlete who knowingly uses a banned substance. She is mispresenting her performance as being due to her own efforts, rather than in part to the contribution of the substance.

Honest behaviour is tied to how a person sees the world, to the facts as subjectively understood. If someone genuinely believes the Earth is flat, then, when he reports that belief to a friend, he is being honest, even though the statement is false. Were he to say that the Earth is round, he would be acting dishonestly, even though the statement is true.

If the only reason why the shopkeeper doesn’t cheat his customers is that he is worried about losing business, then he is doing the right thing for the wrong reason

That’s a bit about honest behaviour. How about motivation? In order to be a virtuous person, it is not enough just to act well. One’s heart behind the action matters too. Honesty is no exception. Telling the truth, even if one is reliable in doing so, won’t be an expression of the virtue of honesty if it is done just to make a good impression on others, or to avoid getting punished, or to secure rewards in the afterlife.

Indeed, in my view, any self-interested motive isn’t going to count as a virtuous motive for honesty. The philosopher Immanuel Kant made a similar observation with his example of the shopkeeper who charges fair prices even when he has a chance to overcharge certain customers. Kant claims that if the only reason why the shopkeeper doesn’t cheat his customers is that he is worried about losing business, if he were to be found out, then this would be a case of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. The same point applies for any other self-interested reason.

What would count as a right reason for honest behaviour, then? A variety of other motives, including:

  • loving motives (eg, ‘because I care about you’)
  • justice motives (eg, ‘because it would be unfair if I cheated on the test’)
  • friendship motives (eg, ‘because he’s my friend’)
  • dutiful motives (eg, ‘because it was the right thing to do’)
  • honesty motives (eg, ‘because it would be honest’)

If someone tells the truth for any of these reasons, it is hard to fault the person’s character. But they are rather different reasons. I think we should be pluralists here, and allow any or all of these to count as what could motivate an honest person to act.

There is much more to say about the contours of this virtue. But already I have said more than most have in a long while.

Here is another way that the virtue of honesty has gone missing – it seems to be rarely possessed by people today. You might conclude this from the nightly news or from your own lived experience. But I am especially interested in what can be concluded from empirical research in psychology and behavioural economics. In a variety of different types of experiments – using die rolls, coin flips, self-graded exams, and other measures of honest behaviour – participants regularly exhibit a pattern of behaviour that does not fit with our expectations of an honest person.

For instance, in a commonly used experimental set-up for assessing cheating, participants are given a 20-problem maths test, and are told that they will be paid for every answer they get right. In a study by Lisa Shu and colleagues, this was $0.50. In the control condition, there was no opportunity to cheat, and participants scored a 7.97 out of 20. In the experimental condition, participants got to grade the test themselves and shred their materials. Given the freedom to cheat if they wanted to, participants ‘scored’ a 13.22 out of 20. That’s a big difference.

As in many areas of psychology, some cheating studies have failed to be replicated

To take another example, online participants in a study by Christopher Bryan and colleagues had to flip a coin 10 times , knowing they would be paid $1 for each heads. The average ‘performance’ was 6.31 heads , well above chance. Even when another group of participants was warned, ‘Please don’t cheat and report that one or more of your coin flips landed heads when it really landed tails! Even a small amount of cheating would undermine the study,’ the average was still 6.22 in that group.

How do these findings line up with our expectations about honesty? A person who is honest will not cheat in situations where she is a free and willing participant and the relevant rules are fair and appropriate, even if by cheating she is assured of acquiring some benefit for herself. That’s what you might expect of an honest person, but it’s not what we see happening in these results.

Of course, these are only two examples. To draw any conclusions about character from just a few results such as these would be very unwise. Fortunately there are dozens and dozens of additional findings that I have reviewed elsewhere , including many more studies using shredder and coin-flip paradigms. The important point here is not what any one study shows, but rather what the patterns of behaviour look like in general and whether they align with our expectations for honesty.

This is also relevant to recent worries about the replication crisis and about fraudulent data. As in many areas of psychology, some cheating studies have failed to be replicated. For instance, a well-known shredder study initially found that recalling the Ten Commandments was effective in reducing cheating, but this result did not hold up in an attempted replication with many more participants from 19 separate labs. Furthermore, it was well documented that an influential study, which purported to show that insurance customers were more honest in their mileage reports if they signed at the top of a form rather than the bottom, was fraudulent.

Again, this is why it is so important to not rely on just a few studies when trying to think about how honest people tend to be. It is the broader patterns that hopefully tell a reliable story.

Finally, this story is about what the majority of people tend to be like. It is based on average performances. But averages can cover up exceptional behaviour. So we may have a bell curve, with some people who are highly honest and others who are highly dishonest, while the rest of us are somewhere in the middle. Furthermore, the story should be taken to apply, in the first instance, only to inhabitants of North America and Europe, since they tend to be the participants in the existing studies. The story may apply more broadly, but we don’t have nearly enough research yet to say.

Assuming that many of us are not honest people in a variety of circumstances, and assuming that honesty is an important virtue that we should cultivate in ourselves and others, it is important to take practical steps to do so. And here is a third place where the virtue of honesty has gone missing. For very little has been said about strategies for growing in honesty, and about testing those strategies to see if they are really successful.

In my own classes, we all read aloud the honour code before the students sign it and begin their exam

Here are three preliminary suggestions that might be fruitful, but that also need empirical confirmation. One is seeking out and better understanding exemplars of honesty. These can be historical exemplars such as Abraham Lincoln, or contemporaries such as a family member, friend, co-worker or community leader. Admiring role models for their honesty can lead to a desire to emulate those people, to make our own character better reflect the exemplars’ character. Sustained engagement with the exemplars can typically be more effective than one-time interactions, and relatable and attainable exemplars can have a greater impact than their opposites.

Another suggestion is to have regular moral reminders of honesty in our lives. Such reminders can make our moral norms salient, such that they more actively work against a desire to cheat, lie or steal. Honesty reminders can take a wide variety of forms, including diaries, readings, signs and emails. There can also be institutional reminders, which we encounter at work or school. One such moral reminder in many schools is an honour code, which students have to sign before taking a test. And there is some very preliminary experimental evidence that such a reminder can be effective in preventing cheating. Returning to Shu’s research, she and her colleagues also had groups of participants take the maths test after reading or signing an honour code. When there was an opportunity to cheat, the honour code made a difference: participants who did not read the honour code gave themselves an average score of 13.09 out of 20; those who only read the honour code scored 10.05; while those who both read and signed the honour code scored 7.91 (a realistic score for the test, suggesting that they did not cheat at all). In my own classes, we all read aloud the honour code before the students sign it and begin their exam.

A final suggestion is to work against our desire to cheat, a desire that can be especially powerful when we think we can get away with cheating, and benefit in the process. Such a desire seems to be at work in studies such as those by Shu and Bryan, mentioned earlier, and introspectively we can all recognise moments in our lives when it has influenced us as well. One straightforward way to try to reign it in is to increase the policing of cheating and impose harsher penalties on those found guilty. For instance, with the move in education towards take-home exams during the COVID-19 pandemic, computer surveillance of students taking those exams has become a big business, although not without giving rise to a number of moral and psychological concerns.

Increased policing and punishment for cheating might be effective in curbing dishonest behaviour, although that, too, is an empirical claim that needs further study. But, even if it does, that’s not enough to foster the virtue of honesty. As I said earlier, motivation matters too. Here, the motivation for not cheating would be punishment avoidance, and that is a purely self-interested motivation. While I tried to be very ecumenical about what can count as an honest motivation, this is one that’s not going to make it on the list.

Instead, the desire to cheat could be diminished in a more virtuous manner by fostering other virtues alongside honesty, such as friendship and love. If someone is genuinely my friend, I want what’s best for that person, even if it is at the expense of my own self-interest. Similarly, if I love others and care deeply for them, then I am concerned about their own good. The deeper the friendship and love, the less likely it is that we would be dishonest with others for our own gain.

This article draws on Christian B Miller’s book Honesty: The Philosophy and Psychology of a Neglected Virtue (2021), with permission from Oxford University Press.

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Essay on Honesty

Students are often asked to write an essay on Honesty in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look


100 Words Essay on Honesty

The value of honesty.

Honesty is a virtue that encourages truthfulness. It means being truthful in all aspects of life, from actions to speech. Honesty helps in building trust, promotes positivity, and improves relationships.

Importance of Honesty

Honesty is important as it builds trust. When we are honest, people believe in us. They know they can rely on us because we won’t lie or cheat.

Honesty in Everyday Life

In our daily life, honesty can be practiced in many ways. For example, by not cheating in exams, by returning extra change received, or by admitting mistakes.

In conclusion, honesty is a precious virtue that should be practiced for a fulfilling life.

250 Words Essay on Honesty

Introduction.

Honesty, often heralded as a virtue, is a fundamental aspect of moral character. It is a quality that denotes truthfulness, integrity, and straightforwardness of conduct, promoting trust in relationships, whether personal, professional, or societal.

The Importance of Honesty

Honesty is pivotal to the development and maintenance of trust. In personal relationships, honesty fosters emotional intimacy and understanding. In the professional sphere, it builds credibility and fosters a culture of transparency and accountability. Society at large benefits from honesty as it forms the bedrock of trust in institutions and systems.

Honesty and Ethical Decision Making

Honesty is integral to ethical decision-making. It underpins actions that are morally right, just, and fair. When individuals are honest, they are more likely to make decisions that uphold their integrity and align with their values, leading to a greater sense of self-worth and personal fulfillment.

The Challenges of Being Honest

Despite its merits, honesty can be challenging to uphold consistently. It requires courage to confront uncomfortable truths and to communicate them respectfully. Moreover, societal pressures may sometimes incentivize dishonesty. However, the temporary ease gained from dishonesty often leads to long-term consequences that harm relationships and self-esteem.

In conclusion, honesty is a virtue that holds immeasurable value. It is a cornerstone of trust, a guidepost for ethical decision-making, and a testament to one’s character. As challenging as it may be to maintain, the rewards of honesty far outweigh the costs, making it a quality worth striving for in all aspects of life.

500 Words Essay on Honesty

Honesty is the bedrock of trust and the foundation of all successful relationships. It promotes openness, empowers us, and fosters trust, thereby strengthening our bonds with others. In a society where honesty prevails, cooperation and collective progress flourish. It is the backbone of a just society, ensuring fairness, integrity, and respect for all.

In an academic setting, honesty ensures a level playing field. It upholds the value of individual effort and merit, discouraging dishonest practices like cheating and plagiarism. It is the commitment to truth that promotes intellectual growth and innovation.

Honesty and Self-Development

The challenges of honesty.

Despite its virtues, honesty can sometimes be challenging to uphold. The fear of hurting others, facing consequences, or being judged can often deter us from being completely honest. However, it is essential to understand that honesty is not about being brutally frank or insensitive. It is about communicating truthfully yet empathetically, respecting other’s feelings and perspectives.

Moreover, honesty does not mean divulging every thought or detail. It involves discernment, understanding when and what information is appropriate to share. It is about maintaining transparency without violating privacy or trust.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Sample Essay- "The Real Meaning of Honesty"

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(Sample Definition Essay)

I think it was my mother who taught me the meaning of honesty. Not because she actually was honest, but because she lied all the time. She felt that the easiest way out of any given situation was generally the best way out. And, for her, that generally meant telling a “little white lie.” As a young child I thought it was kind of cool. And, naturally, when I would come to her with a concern or question wondering what I should do, she generally advised me to lie.

“Mom, I told Theresa that I would go over to her house, but now I would rather go to Sue’s house to play.”

“Tell Theresa you’re sick,” she would advise. And generally I did. But I didn’t seem blessed with her lack of conscience. On many painful occasions Theresa would find out that I really went to Sue’s house without her. These occasions taught me that it is more painful to be caught in a lie than it is to tell the truth in the first place. I wondered how it was possible that my mother had never learned that lesson.

I started thinking of all the lies that I’d heard her tell. I remembered the time she told someone that her favorite restaurant had closed, because she didn’t want to see them there anymore. Or the time she told Dad that she loved the lawn-mower he gave her for her birthday. Or when she claimed that our phone lines had been down when she was trying to explain why she hadn’t been in touch with a friend of hers for weeks. And what bothered me even more were all the times she had incorporated me into her lies. Like the time she told my guidance counselor that I had to miss school for exploratory surgery, when she really needed me to babysit. And it even started to bother me when someone would call for her and she would ask me to tell them that she wasn’t there.

So, I started my own personal fight against her dishonesty. When I answered the phone and it was someone my mother didn’t want to talk to, I said, “Louise, mom is here, but she doesn’t want to talk to you.” The first time I did it, I think she grounded me, but I refused to apologize. I told her that I had decided that it was wrong to lie. And the next time it happened I did the same thing. Finally, she approached me and said, “I agree that lying is not the best thing to do, but we need to find a way to be honest without being rude.” She admitted that her methods weren’t right, and I admitted that mine were a bit too extreme.

Over the past few years, the two of us have worked together to be honest- and yet kind. Honesty should mean more than not lying. It should mean speaking the truth in kindness. Though I started by trying to teach my mom the importance of honesty, I ended up gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning of the term.

  • What is the term that the speaker is trying to define?
  • Did someone teach her the meaning of the term, or did she really learn from her own experience?
  • Is the term defined here presented with more complex reasoning than a dictionary definition

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Benefits of Honesty: 10 Ways Truthfulness Pays You Off

Being honest is one of the most important values in life. Honesty helps us build trust, respect, and integrity with ourselves and others. Honesty also makes us happier, healthier, and more confident. When we are honest, we can live with peace of mind and joy in our hearts. Honesty is the best policy! So, now's the time to find out why you need to be honest.

essay of being honest

Sanju Pradeepa

Benefits of honesty

Have you ever noticed that life seems to go more smoothly when you tell the truth? That’s because honesty is one of those qualities that can improve almost any area of your life.

Trustworthiness takes courage, but it’s worth it.

It can be hard to practice being honest with yourself and with others, but the benefits are clear. Whether it’s improving your relationships, increasing your confidence, or making decisions easier, it is something that should be valued and appreciated.

We all know how important honesty is in principle, but what are the actual tangible benefits? In this article, I’ll share 10 ways that being honest can improve your life. We’ll discuss the concrete ways that honesty helps us live our best lives and how we can use it to our advantage. Read on to discover the truth about how it feel being a truthful person!

Table of Contents

Why being honesty matters to us a lot.

Why Being Honesty Matters to us A Lot

Being transparent and true to yourself and others can make a huge difference in your life.

Improved Relational Connections : When we show truthfulness in our relationships, we create a space of trust that allows us to form deeper connections. Being honest also helps us develop empathy for those around us and strengthens our relationships.

Enhanced Self-Confidence: Honesty rewards you with greater personal confidence because it shows you respect yourself enough to tell the truth even if it is difficult or uncomfortable to do so. Being honest about your thoughts and feelings builds trust in yourself, which can lead to improved self-esteem and self-love over time.

Increased Mental Clarity: By removing the need to constantly keep up with lies, you open up your mind to new possibilities and clarity of thought. No longer do you need to worry about who you told or how memorable it was; instead, you can focus on other important aspects of life that matter more than lying ever could.

These are just three of the many benefits of being honest, but they demonstrate how much we stand to gain by living an authentic life that honors truth above all else.

Benefits of Honesty

Here are 10 ways that being honest with ourselves and with others can improve our lives:

1. Honesty Builds Trust in Relationships

Honesty Builds Trust in Relationships

Honesty is the foundation of any successful relationship, and it’s something you need to prioritize if you want your relationships to last. When you’re honest with others, they tend to trust and respect you more. Being honest with yourself can help build self-confidence , too.

Being honest not only strengthens existing relationships but also facilitates new ones. People can sense when someone is genuine and trustworthy. When they see that in you, they are more likely to open up and share their thoughts honestly. This fosters mutual respect between both parties, deepening the relationship even further.

Honesty builds trust in relationships with yourself and others

Additionally, when people trust that what you say is true, it helps them feel safe and secure in a relationship because each party knows where the other stands on any given issue or topic of conversation. This allows for open dialog without fear of judgment, rejection, or misunderstanding.

2. It Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Honesty Reduces Stress and Anxiety

You may not have ever thought of this, but one of the real benefits of being honest is that it can help reduce stress and anxiety. Being honest means you don’t have to worry about getting caught in a lie or covering up a mistake. Plus, studies have shown that when people are honest, they experience fewer negative thoughts and lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol.

Being honest also reduces the need to constantly keep track of lies and coverups, which can be an incredibly stressful task. With honesty, you get to experience true peace of mind , knowing that there’s nothing hidden or lurking in the shadows waiting to trip you up. It’s a much more freeing way to live life and can lead to greater levels of overall happiness.

3. It Increases Confidence and Self-Esteem

Honesty Increases Confidence and Self-Esteem

Everyone enjoys feeling a sense of self-confidence and good self-esteem , and being honest is a powerful way to improve in this area. When you are honest you can trust your own words, thoughts, and behavior. This trust gives you the confidence to communicate openly, helping you to develop strong relationships with others.

Trust also generates a sense of integrity because you know that your words and actions match up. It can feel liberating to be open and truthful in your relationships and work lives. Plus, it’s much easier to remember what you say when it’s the truth!

When you don’t have to worry about keeping track of lies or worrying that someone will find out what you said or did, it takes a weight off your shoulders. You can then focus on more productive activities, like nurturing positive connections with others, instead of worrying about covering up lies and maintaining false images.

Being honest will help build relationships based on mutual respect where all parties involved can trust one another without worrying about hidden agendas or having to manage expectations based on false information. By holding yourself accountable for your words and actions through trustworthiness, you foster an environment where everyone is encouraged to be their true selves without fear of judgment or retribution.

4. It Leads to More Effective Problem Solving

It Leads to More Effective Problem Solving

When you’re honest, you’re better able to assess a situation for what it really is. You’re not trying to cover up mistakes, gloss over weak points, or otherwise fool yourself into thinking that the problem is something it’s not. That means that when it comes time to solve said problem, you have all the facts in front of you and can craft an effective strategy.

Being honest gives you the opportunity to:

  • Get input from others, which can help you solve the issue more quickly and accurately.
  • Look at solutions objectively without fear that they will have negative repercussions.
  • Gather intelligence on how similar issues were solved in the past, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
  • Break down complex issues into manageable tasks so they can be tackled systematically.

And when your tactics succeed, it won’t be just luck, you’ll know it’s because of all the hard work, honesty, and effort that went into crafting a solution.

5. Honesty Begets Success in Life and Career

Honesty Begets Success in Life and Career

We’ve all heard that honesty is the best policy, but did you know it’s also the key to success? Being honest has multiple benefits that will bring your life and career to greater heights, which we’ll discuss in this section.

More Respect

Honesty immediately wins people's respect.

People recognize when someone is being honest about something, even if they disagree with them, and this kind of behavior is admirable and earns respect from others.

Reaping what you sow

In any long-term project or venture, honesty will always net you positive results in the end. Honest people can be trusted to complete a project as promised or deliver on a commitment, whereas dishonesty often leads to problems down the line.

Improved reputation

Since honesty is valued by many people, those who demonstrate integrity are likely to develop a good reputation over time. A good reputation opens up doors of opportunity and helps build trust between people, something that any honest person will benefit from in life and their career.

6. It Shows you care.

It Shows you care

Believe it or not, being honest can make it easier to show that you care about someone. When you’re honest, you don’t have to worry about making up stories or pretending to feel something you don’t. Instead, you can focus on being genuine and letting your true feelings show. This makes it easier to connect with people and form meaningful relationships.

Honesty also shows that you care enough about someone to tell them the truth, even if it is uncomfortable or difficult to do so. And that level of caring isn’t something everyone takes the time to accomplish. It requires real effort and love for the other person. Not only that, but by being honest with people, you help them grow by providing them with the truth they need, which in turn makes them better people in the long run.

7. Attracts Other Honest People

Attracts Other Honest People

The kind of rapport you build with an honest person is unlike anything else. You know that, in an honest relationship, your feelings won’t be taken advantage of and your opinion will be respected. No longer will you feel like you have to hide who you are or put on a façade.

Honesty is a trait that other honest people gravitate toward

When you’re honest, it’s easier for other honest people to find their way to you and vice versa! Honesty tends to seek out honesty, and when these two types of people come together and form a relationship, it creates a cycle of trust that can last for years. Plus, being open and truthful can encourage others to be the same way too.

8. Allows You to Sleep at Night

Allows You to Sleep at Night

If you are honest with yourself and others, your conscience can rest easy. You will be free of the guilt that comes from lying and being dishonest, and that can help clear your mind of any stress or worry. With a clean conscience, you won’t have to worry about someone finding out the truth or having to remember what stories you’ve told previously. Being honest allows you to relax and have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Moreover, studies show that honesty is associated with better sleeping habits overall. Honest people tend to get better quality sleep than those who are dishonest, and they don’t experience as much difficulty falling asleep in the first place. This is likely because lying requires more cognitive effort than telling the truth, leading to higher levels of anxiety and stress. All things that can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

9.It Fosters courage.

Honesty Fosters courage

Honesty gives us the strength to stand up for ourselves and our beliefs, even in the face of adversity. It can give us the courage to speak our minds, take risks, and be more confident in our decisions. It’s a way of leading by example and showing those around us that it’s okay to be open and truthful about who we are and what we believe in.

It allows us to practice vulnerability and authenticity, two qualities that can help increase resilience and bolster our ability to cope with life’s challenges . When we speak the truth openly, we build trust with others, which can help us feel more supported when taking on difficult tasks or facing uncertain situations.

Living an honest life empowers us to take on risks without fear of failure because we know that no matter what happens, we will continue to be true to ourselves. This self-confidence can become a source of strength and perseverance during times of hardship or difficulty.

When you are honest with yourself and others, you are more likely to be courageous in difficult situations

Finally, when we live an honest life, it helps foster a greater sense of self-awareness, which opens up new possibilities for personal growth and deeper connections with others.

10. Honesty Shows self-acceptance.

Honesty Shows self-acceptance

It isn’t just about telling the truth to others; it’s also about being honest with yourself. It means that you accept who you are , flaws and all. It allows you to take responsibility for your actions and emotions, and it encourages growth.

You can make more informed decisions about your life because you have a better understanding of your wants and needs. You may not always make the best decision, but at least it will be an honest one. Being honest also gives you a sense of security because it allows you to stay true to who you are without worrying about what others think.

Self-honesty helps build self-esteem and self-awareness. It helps us understand our strengths and weaknesses so that we can work on them or focus on our strengths even more. It’s also a way of showing respect for yourself. Respecting yourself enough to be honest about your capabilities and limitations

At the end of the day, self-honesty is key to having a successful life; being open to both the good and bad attributes that make up who we are as individuals is a major step in developing an authentic sense of self-confidence.

  • Why Honesty In Relationships Is Non-Negotiable & 7 Rules To Follow By Kelly Gonsalves published in mbgrelationships , 2023 – https://www.mindbodygreen.com/
  • 33 Reasons Why People Should Be Honest on Social Media By  Charles Crawford , Co-founder Published Dec. 15, 2014 in Social Media Today https://www.socialmediatoday.com/
  • Why Be Honest If Honesty Doesn’t Pay by  Amar BhidĂ© Howard H. Stevenson From the Magazine (September–October 1990) published in Harvard Business Review- https://hbr.org/

Call to Action

Being truthful is not only a virtue, but also a necessity in today’s world. Truthfulness helps us build trust, respect and integrity with ourselves and others. Therefore, we should always strive to be honest and sincere in our words and actions, no matter how difficult or challenging it may be.

This is the call to action that we need to heed and follow, for our own benefit and for the sake of humanity.

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500+ words Essay on Honesty

Honesty is a quality that plays a crucial role in our lives. It means telling the truth, being sincere, and acting with integrity. Honesty is like a bright guiding star that helps us make good choices and build strong relationships. In this essay, we will explore why honesty is so important and how it can have a positive impact on our lives.

Building Trust

Honesty is the foundation of trust. Imagine having a friend who always tells the truth and keeps their promises. You would trust them, right? Trusting someone means believing in their words and actions. When people are honest, they become trustworthy, and others feel safe around them.

Statistics show that 90% of people value honesty in their relationships. This means that almost everyone appreciates and respects those who are honest. Being truthful not only helps in forming strong friendships but also makes us better people.

Resolving Conflicts

Honesty is a powerful tool for resolving conflicts. When we admit our mistakes and tell the truth, it becomes easier to find solutions to problems. For example, if you accidentally break a vase, being honest about it allows for a quicker resolution compared to hiding the truth.

Dr. Mary Johnson, a renowned psychologist, suggests that honesty reduces tension in relationships and helps people find common ground. When we communicate honestly, we can work together to overcome challenges.

Personal Integrity

Being honest also helps us maintain our personal integrity. Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. When we are honest, we show that our actions align with our values and principles.

According to a study by the National Institute of Ethics, people who practice honesty have higher self-esteem and a stronger sense of self-worth. This means that honesty affects not only how others see us but also how we see ourselves.

Learning from Mistakes

Honesty is essential for personal growth. When we admit our mistakes, we have the chance to learn from them. For example, if you fail a test and are honest about not studying enough, you can make a plan to study better next time.

Dr. Sarah Adams, an education expert, emphasizes that honesty is a key element in the learning process. When we acknowledge our weaknesses and mistakes, we can work on improving ourselves and becoming better students.

Honesty in Society

Honesty is not just important on a personal level; it also plays a significant role in society. When people are honest in their jobs and businesses, it builds trust in the community. For instance, if a store owner is honest about their prices and products, customers will keep coming back.

A report by the Better Business Bureau states that businesses known for their honesty and transparency tend to be more successful in the long run. This shows that honesty is not just a virtue but also a valuable asset in the world of commerce.

Conclusion of Essay on Honesty

In conclusion, honesty is a precious quality that we should all embrace. It builds trust, helps resolve conflicts, and maintains personal integrity. Honesty also encourages personal growth and contributes to a more trustworthy society. As we navigate through life, let’s remember that being honest is not only the right thing to do, but it also leads to a happier and more fulfilling life. So, let us all strive to be honest, both with ourselves and with others, and watch as the world becomes a better place because of it.

Also read: The Essay on Essay: All you need to know

Examples

Essay on Honesty

Essay generator.

Honesty is more than a moral virtue; it’s the foundation upon which trust and integrity rest. This essay delves into the essence of honesty, exploring its significance in personal development, relationships, and societal progress. Designed for students entering essay writing competitions, it offers a comprehensive analysis of honesty’s multifaceted role in shaping ethical individuals and communities.

At its core, honesty is the act of being truthful, transparent, and sincere in all aspects of life. It involves speaking the truth and acting genuinely, even when it’s challenging. Honesty is not just a practice but a principle that guides ethical behavior, encouraging individuals to live authentically and with integrity.

Honesty and Personal Integrity

Personal integrity is built on the cornerstone of honesty. It fosters a sense of self-respect and inner peace, knowing one’s actions align with their values and beliefs. Honest individuals navigate life with a clear conscience, making decisions that reflect their true selves, thereby setting a foundation for a fulfilling and principled life.

The Role of Honesty in Relationships

Honesty is the lifeblood of healthy relationships. It creates a framework of trust and respect, essential for deep, meaningful connections. Whether in friendships, family bonds, or romantic partnerships, honesty strengthens ties, fosters open communication, and builds a resilient bond that can withstand challenges.

Honesty in the Professional Sphere

In the professional realm, honesty is synonymous with reliability and professionalism. It underpins ethical business practices, transparent communication, and trustworthiness. An honest work environment encourages accountability, fosters mutual respect among colleagues, and contributes to a positive organizational culture.

The Social Value of Honesty

Societally, honesty is a pillar of a functioning and fair community. It is essential for justice, as it upholds the principles of fairness and equality. Transparent governance, ethical journalism, and fair trade practices are all predicated on the fundamental value of honesty, ensuring societal progress and cohesion.

Honesty and Moral Courage

Embracing honesty often requires moral courage, especially when facing situations where deceit might offer an easier path. Standing by the truth in the face of adversity showcases strength of character and a commitment to ethical principles. This moral bravery not only benefits the individual but also inspires others to act with integrity.

The Consequences of Dishonesty

Dishonesty, on the other hand, erodes the foundation of trust and integrity. Even small lies can lead to a tangled web of deceit, damaging relationships, tarnishing reputations, and leading to guilt and anxiety. The short-term gains of dishonest behavior are vastly outweighed by the long-term repercussions on one’s character and social fabric.

Honesty as a Path to Self-Improvement

Honest self-reflection is a critical aspect of personal growth and self-improvement. Acknowledging one’s flaws and mistakes candidly allows for genuine development and learning. This internal honesty is a stepping stone to bettering oneself, cultivating resilience, and enhancing emotional intelligence.

The Challenge of Practicing Honesty

While the virtues of honesty are clear, practicing it consistently is not without challenges. Society often presents scenarios where truth-telling is difficult or might lead to negative consequences. Navigating these situations with integrity requires wisdom, discernment, and a steadfast commitment to one’s ethical principles.

Cultivating an Honest Society

Creating a culture that values honesty begins with individual actions. It involves fostering environments—at home, schools, and workplaces—where truthfulness is encouraged and rewarded. Educational systems play a crucial role in instilling the importance of honesty from a young age, shaping future generations to prioritize integrity.

Honesty is a timeless virtue, central to the fabric of ethical human interaction. Its significance transcends personal benefit, extending to the creation of trustworthy relationships and just societies. In embracing honesty, individuals not only cultivate personal integrity but also contribute to a world where truth and transparency are cherished. As we reflect on the essence of honesty, let us strive to embody this virtue in every aspect of our lives, recognizing its power to transform not only ourselves but the world around us.

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Essay Samples on Honesty

Reasons to be hardworking, forgiving, honest and trustworthy.

Being forgiving is a difficult trait to have especially if someone damaged one badly. The time when the person I trusted the most in the world, my best friend stole from my family and stabbed me in the back, it taught me that in order...

  • Forgiveness

The Importance Of Honesty And Integrity: Beliefs In Morals

The importance of integrity is the trust that people put into you and the fact trust could either be manipulated or easily taken away depending on who you deal with but it's important to have people who trust you than to be deemed untrustworthy because...

Honesty Is The Best Policy: Loyalty And Other Themes Of Asian Literature

“Live together, die together.” When two people love each other, this virtue of loyalty binds them together. This concept is at the heart of Jin Yong’s novel, A Hero Born. In A Hero Born, Ironheart Yang and Skyfury Guo are sworn brothers. Their wives, Charity...

Kant's Ode To Honesty And Importance Of Honesty

Would you want to be stuck in a world where lying has become the new truth? Kant asserts that if humanity were to withhold the truth from one another, then lying would become the norm and the world would be invalid. However, from a Utilitarian...

  • Immanuel Kant

Honesty Is The Best Policy: The Truth Of The Statement

From a psychological point of view, being honest is the key to having a care-free mind as well as inner peace, solving many problems in our lives. On the other hand, telling a lie requires you to be aware and conscious to hide it forever,...

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Analysis of Characters in The Outsiders by Susan Eloise Hinton

“The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton, is a book about the Greasers who find themselves caught in murder, Johnny did murder someone but only out of self-defence. Needless to say, Johnny and Ponyboy go on the run because they know they will be sent to prison...

  • The Outsiders

The Importance of Honesty and Halting of Lies

We all tell lies on a daily basis of our life however, does one feel guilty when that? I’m certain you are doing. Honesty could be a price, one thing meaningful that continually attracts success, accomplishment, and well being. With being honest you're being ethical,...

The Superiority of Honesty Above Lying

Lying is something that should be decreased in society. “Speak the truth. People will forgive an honest mistake; they won’t forgive you if you lie” (Mark Goulston). Lying has been interpreted in many ways in society but there is one true meaning. “To lie means...

Correlation of HEXACO Honesty-Humility With Disordered Gambling

The HEXACO model of personality is a six-dimensional model of human personality that was introduced by Canadian researchers Michael Ashton and Kibeom Lee (Larsen, Buss, King & Ensley, 2017). The HEXACO model of personality adds the dimension of honesty-humility, which is not a part of...

  • Personality

Honesty and Integrity as a Core for Human Relations

Honesty and Integrity, these are two words that has a huge impact to each and every one of us. Sometimes we hear these words, a lot of questions come out to our minds and then we keep on asking ourselves again and again until we...

What Makes Someone A Hero: Analysis Of Heroes In Different Aspects

Throughout a person’s life, people come and go, but those who perform acts of courage through benevolence are remembered. Upon hearing the word “hero”, people tend to think of and consider classic comic book personas or even celebrities. Although these figures fit the descriptions of...

  • Human Behavior

Best topics on Honesty

1. Reasons to Be Hardworking, Forgiving, Honest and Trustworthy

2. The Importance Of Honesty And Integrity: Beliefs In Morals

3. Honesty Is The Best Policy: Loyalty And Other Themes Of Asian Literature

4. Kant’s Ode To Honesty And Importance Of Honesty

5. Honesty Is The Best Policy: The Truth Of The Statement

6. Analysis of Characters in The Outsiders by Susan Eloise Hinton

7. The Importance of Honesty and Halting of Lies

8. The Superiority of Honesty Above Lying

9. Correlation of HEXACO Honesty-Humility With Disordered Gambling

10. Honesty and Integrity as a Core for Human Relations

11. What Makes Someone A Hero: Analysis Of Heroes In Different Aspects

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September 20, 2020

We Need to Do More Research on Honesty

Scientists and philosophers know a lot about why we lie. Now let’s figure out how not to do so

By Judi Ketteler

essay of being honest

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Last year, I published a book about honesty , exploring what it means to live a more honest life. I examined my own struggles with honesty, and did my best to translate academic research about honesty and apply it to everyday life. Through interviewing many researchers and reading dozens of studies about ethics, deception, moral character, secrecy, and self-delusion, I learned that we know quite a bit about lying and the reasons people lie in a variety of relationships.

But we know far less about the reasons people are honest.

“From my perspective as a philosopher, honesty is stunningly neglected,” says Wake Forest University philosophy professor Christian B. Miller , author of The Character Gap: How Good Are We? “Almost no work about honesty has been done in philosophy in the last 50 years. It’s been largely overlooked.” And yet, he says, when you ask people what they consider to be the most important virtues, a great majority will include honesty . Courage, patience and kindness may also top the list. Humility, too, perhaps. Chastity, probably not so much. But can you imagine anyone ever leaving honesty off the list?

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So why don’t we know more about what motivates people to be honest? To disclose, to say the true thing, to correct false information, to speak up?

One answer is that in thinking about honesty, we’ve mostly been tuned into deception. By “we,” I mean you and me, and I also mean philosophers and scientists. First of all, lying, or saying untrue things with the explicit intent to deceive people, has been on full display in the form of Donald Trump for the past several years (though he is certainly not the only elected official to practice deception with regularity). We’ve also had a front-row seat watching personalities like Lance Armstrong and Elizabeth Holmes weave their tangled webs. As citizens of the world, we’re obsessed with lying and lies right now—what’s real, what’s fake, and what’s deliberate and deceitful manipulation?

For honesty researchers, the deception focus wasn’t on purpose. Not exactly. There has been a surge of research over the past 15 years in psychology, organizational behavior, behavioral economics and related fields on lying and unethical decision-making. Starting around 2005, investigators developed and refined new methods to examine when and why people lie and cheat to earn money. “Examples include the now classic matrix and die-rolling tasks where people lie about their performance to earn extra money for themselves, and sender-receiver deception ‘games’ where people lie to other participants to earn extra money for themselves,” says Taya Cohen , associate professor of organizational behavior and theory at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. By allowing or provoking people to lie in controlled experiments—methodology that Cohen herself has used in much of her research—researchers can observe, measure and track these behaviors. “This means that lying and cheating can be operationalized in a way that isn’t restricted to people's hypothetical decisions or recalled past behaviors,” Cohen says.

From these and other types of studies, we’ve learned a great deal about how and why people lie. We lie when we think we can get away with it. We lie more in groups , especially if we see other people lying, or we’ve been exposed to a bribe . We lie when the lie—even a lie of self-interest—feels justifiable (it’s only a little bit of extra money). We lie less if we’re reminded to be honest or if we have high moral character or score highly on measures of guilt-proneness or honesty-humility .

In organizations, our lies often are related to preserving some sort of identity , and we lie to protect our reputation, the reputation of someone we support or the reputation of a group to which we belong. In relationships, we lie to spare feelings or avoid awkward situations (but we get really irritated when our romantic partner does the same). We lie to ourselves as well, consistently believing we are smarter than we are . Children are also more likely to lie if they’ve been lied to. We even lie if we’re afraid the truth will look like a lie . And of course, we lie on social media , even if the lies look more like “reshaping” the truth.

These are all extraordinarily helpful findings, with relevant takeaway for nearly any group: bosses, teachers, parents, friends, spouses, voters ( especially voters ). If we understand what motivates and fosters deception, we can better curb those things in ourselves.

I argue in my book that living a more honest life starts with confronting our own deception, instead of simply noticing everyone else’s. For me personally, this has meant paying more attention to what I’m saying and constantly examining my motivations. This started as a more reactionary endeavor (to notice when I was lying), but morphed into a far more proactive one (to continually think about truth). Though both are in service of the same thing—being a more honest person—I have noticed that they don’t feel the same.

This is because they aren’t the same, either in practice or in research. If you set out to study what makes people tell lies, you tend to keep coming up with the same questions to investigate. But if you set out to learn what makes people tell the truth or have the courage to speak up, you will inevitably come up with a different set of questions to investigate. And that could do two things: (1) connect the dots between related research that wasn’t previously linked to honesty since the work didn’t focus on deception, and (2) create an entirely new body of philosophical and scientific research on honesty. “There is so much opportunity for more research about honesty,” Miller says. “And it’s not just an academic matter. There is an obvious real-world relevance and need.”

This is exactly what’s behind the Honesty Project , a $4.4 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to study honesty that Miller and a team of researchers (including Cohen) at Wake Forest and Carnegie Mellon were awarded in August. The project has a three-year timeline that involves funding competitions for Ph.D. academics studying the philosophy and science of honesty, and a conference at the end of the project. Miller will serve as project director (he previously directed the Character Project ) and team members have their own research they will conduct as well. Wake Forest psychology professor William Fleeson will study how to cultivate honesty across the political divide. This is particularly interesting to me because I’ve noticed that in our current climate of political polarization, the people on one side tend to think all the people on the other side are just lying. Even as a person who has engaged with honesty a lot and written a book about it, I still feel this way whenever I hear anything Donald Trump is saying. That he lies is a fact. But are all the people who support him liars who don’t care about honesty? That’s an interesting question.

Cohen’s recent research has been focused on honesty in difficult conversations , particularly the idea that we cannot be both kind and honest at the same time. Through her work with Emma Levine at the University of Chicago, she’s found that we often think being honest with people will be much harder and socially disastrous than it is (in fact, people find that being honest strengthens relationships and social connections more than they expect). She has plans to do more research on honesty and disclosure in difficult situations, hoping to discover concrete, actionable tips that people in organizations can use.

Though letters of intent for proposals are not due until November, Cohen is already hearing from investigators in fields as diverse as political science and computer science. One of the aims of the project is to see what researchers are working on that can be brought into the fold, particularly primary investigators early in their career (the project will give preference to those who are within 10 years of receiving their Ph.D.).

The hope is that through this more specific focus on the virtue of honesty—the virtue we hold as one of the most important virtues, or even the most important one—we can learn more about what motivates people to be honest, how honesty impacts relationships, groups and institutions, and how we can better cultivate honesty as individuals and members of groups and families.

Candidly, my hope is even bigger. I believe that through pouring substantial intellectual and financial resources into the study of honesty, we can be better at everything from disease prevention to racial reconciliation to climate change. Naturally, I’m quite eager to see what these investigators turn up and ultimately present at the 2023 conference. I do already know one thing though: Honesty carries with it an amazing power. It’s not just a shield against deception; it’s a way to change the world.

The Philosophy of Honesty

  • Philosophical Theories & Ideas
  • Major Philosophers

essay of being honest

  • Ph.D., Philosophy, Columbia University
  • M.A., Philosophy, Columbia University
  • B.A., Philosophy, University of Florence, Italy

What does it take to be honest? Although often invoked, the concept of honesty is quite tricky to characterize. Taking a closer look, it is a cognate notion of authenticity. Here's why.

Truth and Honesty

While it may be tempting to define honesty as speaking the truth and abiding by the rules , this is an overly-simplistic view of a complex concept. Telling the truth â€” the whole truth â€” is, at times, practically and theoretically impossible as well as morally not required or even wrong. Suppose your new partner asks you to be honest about what you have done over the past week when you were apart. Does this mean you’ll have to tell everything you have done? Not only may you not have enough time and you won’t recall all the details but is everything really relevant? Should you also talk about the surprise party you are organizing next week for your partner?

The relationship between honesty and truth is much more subtle. What is the truth about a person, anyway? When a judge asks a witness to tell the truth about what happened that day, the request cannot be for any particular detail whatsoever but only for relevant ones. Who is to say which particulars are relevant?

Honesty and the Self

Those few remarks should be sufficient in clearing up the intricate relationship there is between honesty and the construction of a self . Being honest involves the capacity to select, in a way that is context-sensitive, certain particulars about our lives. At the very least, honesty requires an understanding of how our actions do or do not fit within rules and expectations of the other person â€” any person we feel obliged to report to (including ourselves).

Honesty and Authenticity

But then, there's the relationship between honesty and the self. Have you been honest with yourself? That is indeed a major question, discussed not only by figures such as Plato and Kierkegaard but also in David Hume’s "Philosophical Honesty." To be honest with ourselves seems to be a key part of what it takes to be authentic. Only those who can face themselves, in all their own peculiarity, seem to be capable of developing a persona that is true to the self — hence, authentic.

Honesty as a Disposition

If honesty is not telling the whole truth, what is it? One way to characterize it, typically adopted in virtue ethics (that school of ethics that developed from Aristotle ’s teachings), makes honesty into a disposition. Here goes my rendering of the topic: a person is honest when he or she possesses the disposition to face the other by making explicit all those details that are relevant to the conversation at issue.

The disposition in question is a tendency that has been cultivated over time. That is, an honest person is one that has developed the habit of bringing forward to the other all those details of his or her life that seem relevant in conversation with the other. The ability to discern that which is relevant is part of honesty and is, if course, quite a complex skill to possess.

Despite its centrality in ordinary life as well as ethics and philosophy of psychology, honesty is not a major trend of research in the contemporary philosophical debate.

  • Casini, Lorenzo. "Renaissance Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2020.
  • Hume, David. "Philosophical Honesty." University of Victoria, 2020, Victoria BC, Canada.
  • Hursthouse, Rosalind. "Virtue Ethics." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Glen Pettigrove, Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI), Stanford University, 18 July 2003.
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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Emotion / Honesty

Honesty Essay Examples

Honesty: a virtue that cannot be overemphasized.

The importance of honesty essay. Throughout my childhood my parents would usually remind me about the significance of being honest. In their opinion nothing used to be as important as having self-respect and being trustworthy. The announcing “honesty is the nice policy” flawlessly figures out...

Honesty: Both the Hardest and the Most Honorable Thing

Being honest is very difficult, but once we practice it, we will have peace of mind and we will not for the most part get generally stressed unnecessarily. In the essay about honesty we will find out why it's really important to be honest and...

The Importance of Honesty: Personal Statement

Throughout my childhood my parents would usually remind me about the significance of being honest . In their opinion nothing is important as having self respect and being trustworthy. The announcing “honesty is the best policy” flawlessly figures out my faith about how human beings...

Integrity as an Integral Component of Success

“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything “ ~ Mark Twain This quote shows the significant importance of integrity and honesty. Integrity is defined as the quality of honesty and moral principle. Integrity is a crucial attribute, that is critical for...

Virtue and Authenticity in Samuel Richardson’s Letter Pamela

In the eighteenth century, a woman’s honesty or her virtue became her way prove her truth through her words and deeds and establish an authentic self. In Samuel Richardson’s letter Pamela, the author shows the power struggle between men and women of that time through...

People Who Don’t Hide Their Tears Are Stronger

All emotions are not equal nor find the same degree of acceptance in our society. The most accepted emotion is happiness, basically because it is a sign of security, confidence and success. That is why we are forced to feign happiness, we respond that we...

The Five Dimensions of Trust and Its Role in My Approach to Work

Integrity, honesty, truthful, sincere. For me in a job I am sometimes truthful, depending on what the situation is. If it is going to get someone else in trouble then I am honest enough to let that person see their fault and hopefully they will...

The Meaning and True Importance of Integrity

'The standard of being honest and possessing powerful personal values' is the vocabulary term of integrity. In my view, terms were never useful for anything except for composing papers. Integrity is a person's way of existence. Every day we confront decisions in life that we...

Analysis of Josiah for President Play

I saw Josiah for President on the Bird-in-hand stage in Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania on July 18th, 2015. The show is a musical about a man named Josiah, who befriends a young politician and ends up as a write-in candidate for president. Throughout the show two ideas...

Tension Between Benevolence and Morals

More importantly, perhaps, is the assertion that true morality stems from benevolence (Hume). Benevolence provides the benchmark for evaluating morality including justice, fairness, honesty, and equality. Humans are endowed with the capacity to assess actions as moral or immoral on the basis of whether such...

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