Can A Person Be Considered Honest If He/She Lies?

[duckman]

My brother and I were having an interesting conversation about this last night, so I thought I bring up here for discussion.

Personally, I think you can still consider yourself honest if you told a lie especially under special circumstances like national security.

For example, I was on a temporary duty assignment (TDY) in Kentucky for a training exercise. Someone was asking me all kinds of question at the bar that I was partying at. He mentioned that he saw our planes coming in and was wondering what we were doing here.

I made up some story about we were on some top secret mission that I couldn't divulge. He immediately became intrigued and wanted some information from me. He told me he was in the Army, so I asked him what division he was in. He couldn't give me a straight answer. I told some bullshit details about the mission.

To make a long story short, I contacted the base police and they sent agents down to question him. It turned out he wasn't in the Army at all. I don't know what happened to him, but I bet he ended up in a heap of trouble.

What do you guys think? Can a person be considered honest if he/she lies?

[Logan]

I've told lies in much less important situations than the one you described, and I still consider myself an honest person.

[duckman]

I've told lies in much less important situations than the one you described, and I still consider myself an honest person.

I have too and I consider myself an honest person as well.

[tarcone]

If it is big (i.e i am in the CIA or no Im not married) you are not honest. if it is small (i.e. no, thats not pee on my pants i spilled water washing my hands) you can still be honest.
in terms of national security, i dont think it is dishonesty but a safety concern

[Logan]

If it is big (i.e i am in the CIA or no Im not married) you are not honest. if it is small (i.e. no, thats not pee on my pants i spilled water washing my hands) you can still be honest.
in terms of national security, i dont think it is dishonesty but a safety concern


Right. If you lie and it ends up hurting someone, you're an asshole.

[Joker]

Whats the defintion of a lie?..President Bush or Clinton would like to know.
part II
Do Presidents Have to lie to protect the country from issues?

[JW]

Whats the defintion of a lie?..President Bush would like to know.

It depends of the definition of is.

[duckman]

Whats the defintion of a lie?..President Bush would like to know.

HAR!

This is not a political thread, BTW.

[Grammaticus]

If it is big (i.e i am in the CIA or no Im not married) you are not honest. if it is small (i.e. no, thats not pee on my pants i spilled water washing my hands) you can still be honest.
in terms of national security, i dont think it is dishonesty but a safety concern
hmm, used that one before, have you?

[Joker]

Defintion of a lie...
if anyone knows because the good book says...Satan is the Father of the lie....
and dam thats one ugly baby....

#2 for those from the Great State of Oklahoma.
I was at the 1st football game that Jamel Holliway started
after Aikman broke his leg vs the Caines...OU-70 to ISU-3. was the score....1985
Were you there?
ps this is my name and Im a long time viewer ...Ive finally decided to post...

[st.cronin]

ping: Plato

[sabotai]

What I learned from watching House MD

"Everybody lies"

[Desnudo]

I have trouble trusting people who tell small lies. I think it's symptomatic of general dishonesty. The exclusion of truth however...

[tanglewood]

ping: Plato

Plato's virtuous man was moderate in everything, so presumably he would say that a person who tell the truth the majority of the time but is willing to lie is a more virtuos person that someone who always tells the truth no matter what. On the other hand, Kant compleely disagrees. His categorical imperative pretty much rules out lying in any situation at all.

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

So Desnudo you are totally and completely honest with everyone? What about when the truth will be hurtful? For instance, your wife asks you do I look good tonight but you think she looks tired and worn out. Or your mother bakes a new pie and asks you how it was but it was disgusting...

[st.cronin]

Plato's virtuous man was moderate in everything, so presumably he would say that a person who tell the truth the majority of the time but is willing to lie is a more virtuos person that someone who always tells the truth no matter what. On the other hand, Kant compleely disagrees. His categorical imperative pretty much rules out lying in any situation at all.

Well, what I was getting at was that Plato distinguished between the quality honesty and an action which is honest. A man behaving honestly is not 'honest' in the same way that the action is.

[BishopMVP]

Malcolm Gladwell had a part in one of his books on how a person can be exceedingly honest in certain situations (family, or with friends) but habitually lie in another setting (school/work.) It was bigger than that, but more about how different individuals can act in different settings.

I know personally I would habitually lie with regards to school, but I would never lie to my friends. Same thing with my family, where I might lie to my parents in certain situations, but would always be truthful with my sisters. So does that mean I'm dishonest? I don't think so, although others are free to think otherwise. But I do think it is interesting to look at your own life and see which attributes change depending on social situation and try to figure out why.

[Desnudo]

So Desnudo you are totally and completely honest with everyone? What about when the truth will be hurtful? For instance, your wife asks you do I look good tonight but you think she looks tired and worn out. Or your mother bakes a new pie and asks you how it was but it was disgusting...

Fortunately I don't have a tired and worn out looking wife. :p If someone asks me what I think of how they look, and I don't think that they look very good, I try and find something to comment on, earings, hair, that does look reasonably good.

Re: honesty, there's also a difference between pre-meditated lying and not sharing the whole truth.