Are Liars Ethical? How Does Honesty Impact Happiness?

Honesty is a complex term. A specific action may occasionally fall into the “grey area,” making it difficult to categorize it as either honest or dishonest. Also, the cultural context affects our ability to distinguish between what is truthful and what is not (Vadi &Vissak, 2013). Acquiring a listener’s trust places moral obligations on a presenter in terms of accuracy and completeness. An individual deceives when their statements support a false belief or undermine a real one in order to satisfy the prerequisites for signal and mendacity, which are thus stated as requirements for lying.

Defining the Value of Honesty 

Let’s start by setting the virtue of honesty apart from other comparable ideas. Let’s imagine we overhear someone say, “Smith did the right thing by telling the truth in court.” The speaker is commenting on Smith’s performance in the courtroom. Yet even if that judgment is accurate, there are at least two reasons why it is not the same as endowing Smith with the virtue of honesty.

First, sincerity can result in sincere deeds. But, it is also possible for someone to be considered honest without necessarily acting in an honest manner for a long time. She also doesn’t qualify as an honest person merely based on her history of moral action. Instead, it is true of her that she is honest due to psychological realities inherent to her personality, psychological structure, and character.

Second, a person can conduct in a way that we might describe as “honest,” yet still not be honest. Smith, for example, may not be at all honest and only says the truth out of fear of facing consequences for lying. So, there is a rather clear distinction between honesty and honest behavior. The idea of acting with integrity is more closely related to honesty. One cannot act from honesty without having honesty in your character, thus if Smith does the right thing and is doing so out of honesty, then that does imply that he is an honest person. But, in this instance as well, the act of honesty is separate from and metaphysically dependent upon the virtue of honesty. The latter is what accounts for the former’s performance. (Miller, 2021)

 Half Truth, White Lies and Trust

“A lie about a small or unimportant matter that someone tells to avoid hurting another person.”  according to the dictionary, defines a white lie. (Solomon, 2022)

A white lie or half-truth can have a positive or negative impact on how trustworthy we are. Because trust is a matter of opinion, a certain conduct may make one person trust us while making another person distrust us. Because of this, it’s necessary to consider the effects of speaking a white lie or a half-truth from the viewpoint of the other person. the individual to whom we were conveying it.

Conclusion

Due to the complexity of thought, word, and deed, the path of dishonesty is challenging to tread. Yet being honest makes life simpler. A person who is honest enjoys mental tranquility that makes life comfortable for both them and other people. If one is sincere and truthful, there is no reason to worry or be fearful. Being honest is foolproof. Honest people don’t need to worry about punishment. Even if telling the truth can be difficult at times, an honest person has the fortitude to do so and to stand by it. One who is honest is sincere in both words and deeds. An honest individual stays true to their word. There may be a cost associated with being genuine and honest, but the price of being dishonest is much higher. A dishonest person will eventually be exposed. Whatever the repercussions, a truthful person will speak the truth. Being honest enables one to be courageous and confident. Being truthful in both words and deeds takes guts and boldness. All other principles and values are built on the principle of honesty. Corruption, injustice, and stealing are all instances of dishonesty. 

References

Written By

Prima Fariya Auishe

Campus Ambassador

Way To Jannah Academy

Published by waytojannahacademy

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