A truism of the human condition is that everyone lies, even if it is unintentional. Now, even the most honest person will know that telling the whole truth all the time is not a wise practice - people are not made to accept blunt truth.
A wise person thus knows that it is possible to put too high a premium on complete honesty. Sometimes, the truth must not be stated bluntly, it must be packaged. This, of course, begs the question: ‘If it is all right to conceal the truth, then when does concealment end and lying begin?’
In moral terms, honesty is without doubt a virtue, and dishonesty is a vice. But in social terms, absolute honesty can lead to trouble, risking causing offense to others who may not want or need to hear the complete truth. You have to weigh the benefits achieved by being honest with those achieved by being dishonest. To withhold the truth is sometimes a wise act, however, to present a falsehood, as truth is always wrong.
A wise person thus knows that it is possible to put too high a premium on complete honesty. Sometimes, the truth must not be stated bluntly, it must be packaged. This, of course, begs the question: ‘If it is all right to conceal the truth, then when does concealment end and lying begin?’
In moral terms, honesty is without doubt a virtue, and dishonesty is a vice. But in social terms, absolute honesty can lead to trouble, risking causing offense to others who may not want or need to hear the complete truth. You have to weigh the benefits achieved by being honest with those achieved by being dishonest. To withhold the truth is sometimes a wise act, however, to present a falsehood, as truth is always wrong.
‘Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.’ Plato
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