Do you think being 100% honest and open is viable?

[May90]

Just a thought experiment. Imagine a person who always tells truth and only truth. They never lie, they never sugarcoat anything, never try to hide inconvenient facts of their biography from others. Whenever you ask them about anything (except for private stuff compromising their well-being, such as bank account data), they always give you a perfectly honest answer. They are not necessarily a jerk, but they will always tell you how they feel about you, even if it means telling you that they hate you utterly. Or, if they really like you, they will tell it right away, without any hesitation or anxiety.

Do you think such a person can be well off in the modern society?

[Gamdwelf]

Sure why not. Usually people are untruthful when they have something to hide, or fears.

Live without those and no need to lie.

[Darkeon]

There's a time and place for everything.

Sometimes a simple white lie will be more beneficial than straight out honesty.

[nonameelf]

No. Lying(either directly or by omission) is required for a lot of things. Like job interviews or not pissing off people.

[Mazeari]

Tbh I consider myself pretty straightforward and honest. You can say alot with the right tone. But sometimes it's just better to not tell the truth. Because the truth can cause more issues then a simply lie.

[muto]

No. A noble lie is sometimes better than a harsh truth.

[Justank]

My wife is afraid of flying, particularly when there is turbulence. She is totally fine during takeoff and landing though. I am an aviator by trade, takeoff and landing are the most dangerous parts of any flight. They call them the critical five minutes of flight for a reason. I will never tell her that, even if asked directly, as it would only make things worse for her. There are important things in relationships that you should always be honest about, but using good judgement as to what is actually beneficial (for your partner and the relationship as a whole, not just for yourself) is part of a healthy relationship.

[Thimagryn]

Just a thought experiment. Imagine a person who always tells truth and only truth. They never lie, they never sugarcoat anything, never try to hide inconvenient facts of their biography from others. Whenever you ask them about anything (except for private stuff compromising their well-being, such as bank account data), they always give you a perfectly honest answer. They are not necessarily a jerk, but they will always tell you how they feel about you, even if it means telling you that they hate you utterly. Or, if they really like you, they will tell it right away, without any hesitation or anxiety.

Do you think such a person can be well off in the modern society?

No. Society can't handle that kind of person.

[Tempguy]

Didn't Jesus try that?

And if you don't beleive some guy name Jesus existed, I can name a few other honest joes who wound up being treated poorly. Even out martyrs were not entirely genuine.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Yes it is. People need to learn to lighten up and not commit suicide when someone says they don't like them. More truthful information is ALWAYS better than less when used by any logical person.

[Tauton]

Yes it is. People need to learn to lighten up and not commit suicide when someone says they don't like them. More truthful information is ALWAYS better than less when used by any logical person.

The question was "would it work in modern society", your answer is "yes, if everyone else lightens up" - that means your answer is "no"....

[Blayze]

Doesn't work.

[Independent voter]

Not if you want to be in a relationship.

"Do you think she's attractive?"

"She's fat and she's got a nose like a man."

[Jonnusthegreat]

The question was "would it work in modern society", your answer is "yes, if everyone else lightens up" - that means your answer is "no"....

No, it means it works. You will just know fewer people. AKA non-logical dimwits. Which is fine.

[nonameelf]

Yes it is. People need to learn to lighten up and not commit suicide when someone says they don't like them. More truthful information is ALWAYS better than less when used by any logical person.

Job interviewer asks: "What are your biggest weaknesses?"

Good luck being 100% honest and getting the job.

[Sykol]

I'm almost always completely honest. There are times when it's impossible to be without severing a relationship of some sort or getting yourself fired, but beyond that I don't see a reason to lie. The worst I do is hold my tongue, which isn't that often. I have purpose behind everything I feel or do, and at least one valid reason for it, and I'm pretty good at being tactful while still maintaining a blunt honesty, so it hasn't been a problem for me yet.

- - - Updated - - -

Job interviewer asks: "What are your biggest weaknesses?"

Good luck being 100% honest and getting the job.

That's the easiest way to land a job, especially if you can easily address your weaknesses and how to solve them. My first time learning how to use new equipment at work, I had a hell of a hard time getting this one specific thing to work right. I knew what I had to do, and knew what I was doing wrong, and told my boss that. He said a lot of people had told him the machines didn't like them, or they didn't know what was going wrong, but because I could instantly address my faults and figure out a solution, even if it wasn't clicking at the moment, he felt more comfortable with me learning than anyone else that day. A little while later, everything in my mind just fell into place, and no problem.

[Powerogue]

I admit to be easier on sugarcoating, trying to tell the truth without coming off as a jackass. But I still can't justify lying. The lie just gets out, and then you're drastically worse off than if you'd just told the truth from the start. About the only exceptions I can think of are lying to people on their deathbeds or other situations where it'd be inconsequential with apparent benefits to their happiness. I still think back to video games like The Walking Dead and To The Moon that got me to lie for those reasons, and it makes me feel real guilt even though I know they're just games.

It's difficult, but I do strive for 100% honesty. As with everything there isn't just an easy answer of "yes, honesty is good, 100% of the time!" Being honest has both kept me out of a lot of trouble, and seriously damaged my relationships with my family, particularly my mother. Sometimes people just don't want to hear the truth, and take your attack on their delusion as an attack on themselves.

[Googolplex]

It won't work, you would be extremely unpopular very very fast.

There is not a single 100% honest person in the world I recon. Even really honest people are never 100% honest.

[ComputerNerd]

There's a time and place for everything.

Sometimes a simple white lie will be more beneficial than straight out honesty.

I agree with this.
Dishonesty can be a tool to prevent harm or damage as much as it can be to cause them.

[Mihalik]

I have a movie for you to watch. Highly educational.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar_Liar