Practicing Honesty

                                  

What is honesty

Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft etc. Furthermore, honesty means being trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere honesty is valued in many ethnic and religious cultures.

‘Honesty is the best policy” is a proverb of Benjamin Franklin. However, the quote honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom is attributed to Thomas Jeffeson as used in a letter to Nathanael Macon others have noted..However the do much honesty might be seen as undisciplined openness for example individuals may be perceived as being too honest if they honestly express negative opinions of others, either without having them asked their opinion or having them asked in their circumstance where the response would be trivial      

                      Meaning of honesty. It can be contextual

The defences of contextual honesty, justification and partial justification are often referred to synonymously. However, the defence of contextual honesty is different to the other two defences in that the defence of contextual truth requires at least one or more imputations complained of to be substantially true, and in light of the substantial truth of those imputations, the remainder of the imputations complained of do no further harm to the plaintiff’s reputation. Unlike partial justification, contextual truth can be a complete defence to a claim. 

                 Having gratitude and thus it will result in honesty

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gratitude is an emotion similar to appreciation, and positive psychology research has found neurological reasons why so many people can benefit from this general practice of expressing thanks for our lives, even in times of challenge and change. 

Positive psychology focuses on the positive events and influences in life, including:

1).Positive experiences (like happiness, joy, inspiration, and love).

2).Positive states and traits (like gratitude, resilience, and compassion)

3).Positive institutions (applying positive principles within entire organizations and institutions)

Keeping oneself firm on maintaining challenges in being honest

To our surprise, our pet theories failed to stand up. Treachery, we found, can pay. There is no compelling economic reason to tell the truth or keep one’s word—punishment for the treacherous in the real world is neither swift nor sure. 

                     Why be honest, if honesty doesn’t pay 

Economists, ethicists, and business sages had persuaded us that honesty is the best policy, but their evidence seemed weak. Honesty is, in fact, primarily a moral choice. Without values, without a basic preference for right over wrong, trust based on such self-delusion would crumble in the face of temptation.

                        It’s good to be honest

We can be proud of a system in which people are honest because they want to be, not because they have to be. Materially, too, trust based on morality provides great advantages. It allows us to join in great and exciting enterprises that we could never undertake if we relied on economic incentives alone.

                    Motives why people deviate being honest 

Deviance refers to behaviours that violate social norms.is often divided into two types of activities. The first, crime, is the violation of formally enacted laws and is referred to as formal deviance. Examples of formal deviance include robbery, theft, rape, murder, and assault. The second type of deviant behavior involves violations of informal social norms (norms that have not been codified into law) and is referred to as informal deviance. Examples of informal deviance include picking one’s nose, belching loudly, or standing unnecessarily close to another person.

                                Why is it difficult to be honest

It's because we're all viscerally connected to truth on a fundamental, physical and spiritual level. It's part of who we are and like a virus, we instinctively reject dishonesty. To override this natural impulse by telling lies, we generate immense amounts of resistant and negative energy in our bodies.

                 Conclusion 

Indeed it's good to be honest, but to a certain limit. Interfering into somebody's personal matters, giving honest advice, can hurt others sentiments. Our honesty should be limited to ourselves, that what we are saying or doing about ourselves, are we honest in it.