How do you teach someone honesty?

Why? said:
Why do you want to teach them honesty? This will just make life more difficult to deal with others in our society.
Click to expand...

What I should I teach them? To lie? to steal? To cheat?

They are children its my job to teach them right from wrong. It's not easy
when they are surrounded by other kids with no morals whatsoever.
All I can do is try my best. They are smart enough to know what is right or wrong. What I would approve of or not.

When they are adults they can come to their own conclusions. Hopefully
they will have learned enough to make the right choices. I mean I am not perfect myself. Do I lie? yeah sometimes I do, depending on the circumstances. Is everything I do completely honest? No...(I run my own business lol) DO I do anything SERIOUSLY wrong? NO because I wasn't raised that way, nor do I want to suffer the consequences.
 
I don't think you have to teach your kids honesty. I think kids are taught dishonesty and you have to teach them not go 'to the dark side'
 
one_raven said:
You can be honest even if others are not honest with you. I don't see how it hurts you to do so at all.
Click to expand...

Well, that's one of those ideals that can't stand up to the rigors of reality! If all people began to tell the truth, even if it's only as they see it or know it, my best guess is that the world simply couldn't handle it. Governments would collapse, industry would grind to a halt, the service industry would fall flat on it's face, scientists would hide in closets, ...... Nope, it's too late for honesty in the real world ...the world couldn't function without the lies and untruths.

one_raven said:
That reasoning is as lame as, "Why should I be a good person? No one else is." which, of course, ends up with no one being a good person, because they all have a built-in excuse.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and that's another one ....it simply couldn't happen except in fairytale dreams and idealistic poetry!

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Well, that's one of those ideals that can't stand up to the rigors of reality! If all people began to tell the truth, even if it's only as they see it or know it, my best guess is that the world simply couldn't handle it. Governments would collapse, industry would grind to a halt, the service industry would fall flat on it's face, scientists would hide in closets.
Baron Max
Click to expand...


You really think that the world is that soft? You think it would all fall down because of truths? I'd say that what you're trying to suggest is a lie.
 
cosmictraveler said:
You really think that the world is that soft? You think it would all fall down because of truths?
Click to expand...

Soft? No. Corrupt to the hilt? YES! And if we all begin to tell the truth, all of that would literally collapse ....yes, LITERALLY.

cosmictraveler said:
I'd say that what you're trying to suggest is a lie.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I don't see how that could be considered a lie? For example, it's a lie ONLY if I know that it's not the truth, and I'm intending to decieve you. I'm simply pointing how what I think would happen. I was in industry for decades and I know how many lies were told and upheld in order for the industry to function. The truth would have made it all fail, to collapse.

Just imagine .......if all politicians, all government officials, suddenly started telling the truth tomorrow morning. Do you actually think that we could even get through the day without horrendous disasters?

Baron Max
 
I think its hard when you see all these liars and cheats getting ahead in life.
You try to be honest, and do things the right way and end up getting fucked for it.
Its frustrating!
 
spuriousmonkey said:
It's a nice theory, but in practice we do nothing but lie to our children and they lie to us unless they are still very young and haven't gotten the concept yet that the other person does not know what you are thinking. Once they find out that there is a difference between what you think and what is perceived by the other all bets are off.

The living of the lie has started.

Perfectly normal.

The only honest thing I ever tell my children is that McDonalds is evil, and they don't believe me. Well, the other truth is that I tell them that I am a doctor, which is answered by: 'No, you are lying. This is not the house of a doctor'.

Which is true of course. Not quite the house a medical doctor would live in.

They wouldn't, but they still would want to take the others candy.
Click to expand...

Well I don't expect children to really understand the importance of honesty when they are children or even to be able to believe the truth and recognize a lie (I didn't as a child), but I would hope to instill a sense of the importance of being honest and principled that they would come to have as adults.
 
shorty_37 said:
...You try to be honest, and do things the right way and end up getting fucked for it...
Click to expand...

I try to always take the high road and I never seem to get any grief for it. Can you give an example because maybe I'm just being oblvious to getting f&^^ed over myself.
 
I think it's because we let them get away with it. People do not call out a liar and a cheat as often as they I think they did in the past. I myself let shit slide that I would be appalled at years ago.

I think it should be corrected in individuals, with groups such as government, banks, insurance companies - returned double.
 
shorty_37 said:
I think its hard when you see all these liars and cheats getting ahead in life.
You try to be honest, and do things the right way and end up getting fucked for it.
Its frustrating!
Click to expand...

I don't think it is at all.
First, I suppose it depends on what you define as getting ahead.
Second, I think virtuousness is its own reward.
Third, it has been my overwhelming experience the virtuous DO get rewarded, respected and find success as a direct result of their virtue.
People will go back to the honest mechanic and not go back to the over-priced asshole trying to do his best to get over on them.
 
Orleander said:
I try to always take the high road and I never seem to get any grief for it. Can you give an example because maybe I'm just being oblvious to getting f&^^ed over myself.
Click to expand...

I am thinking more in a business sense. I have owned 2 businesses now.
I see how private business people work and how they succeed. If you
are 100% honest you would never make it. Well you would make it,
but not be a huge success. That is just my experience.
 
Last edited:
one_raven said:
People will go back to the honest mechanic and not go back to the over-priced asshole trying to do his best to get over on them.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but he had to get fucked first by the liar before he figured it out. And thus, the liars will continue ....and they'll continue to fuck over people, and thus get ahead in life.

Baron Max
 
spidergoat said:
People know what's honest and what isn't.
Click to expand...

No, they don't!! And that's just the point of the whole fuckin' thing! Can you give me some evidence to support your assertion? Because this very forum shows that most people DON'T know what's honest and what's not.

spidergoat said:
Lying is a necessary skill in life.
Click to expand...

I think that's true now, I'm not sure that it was in the past. Why is that?

Baron Max
 
If you can't lie, you can't conceal your true intentions from people, which is often necessary. I guess you never bought a used car? Never negotiated a lower price at a yard sale, or for a house? Never told your wife those jeans don't make her butt look big?
 
I have done all the above minus the jean thing, I already know my butt looks big :bawl:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top