The Art of Being Honest

Well it has been a very long time since last I have been writing on this blog, but something got me out of my slacking to add this entry. When I was out with a group of my friends today, I mentioned to some of my friends that I am sometimes honest to a fault. For example, I can't help but tell girls how pretty they look if they are wearing their school uniforms, effectively revealing my fetish for girls in school uniform (not exactly a good conversation starter, eh?). When I have lied to someone about certain matters, my cover is blown as soon as they question me directly about the issue. Even when they do not do so, deep inside I am inclined to reveal the truth. Wee Teng commented however, that honesty should come in stages, and the truth must slowly, especially with getting to know girls. Her words made me realize though, that being honest nowadays is getting increasingly difficult, and unless I curb my enthusiasm for being honest, I will no doubt land myself in a whole load of trouble. Therefore I shall present my humble suggestions for being honest in this world where lying an utter necessity for survival.

The simplest solution in my humble opinion is to keep your gap shut. If you don't say anything, you can't lie and thus bring upon yourself a sense of guilt from lying which for most people is immediately observable. If you are forced to comment on the issue, just try to go around and lead the conversation away from the issue at hand. Generations of celebrities have turned this into something of a high art, and if they can, why not you? (Just practice it as much as them). The Chinese saying that trouble comes out of the mouth in many ways is true in real life.

Another popular solution of course is to suggest the truth but not really giving up the whole truth. Effectively, you are not lying and can thus keep a clear conscious while at the same time manipulating the truth to suit your purpose. Our local Fann Wong and Christopher Tan's handling of their supposed relationship is an outstanding case study. They both maintained that "They are good friends". While it could be platonic in nature, aren't most couples good friends too? Further more, Christopher Lee says that he is still "single and available". Well, he has yet to marry now, has he? Anyone who has tied to not can claim without any guilt that he is still "single and available" since legally he still is.

The most extreme method for to maintain a clear conscious though is to be utterly convinced that you are telling the truth, no matter the evidence that point in the opposite direction. After all, this is what centuries of religious fanatics to justify some of their grisly deeds, despite upon more careful studying their actions run against the very teaching that they are supposedly trying to spread. These people to me irk me no end, especially when they call others infidels. They must be the biggest species of hypocrites known to mankind. But I digress.

In the end though, the best we can do is to be prudent in our words and actions, and while honesty may not always be the best policy, most of the time it is still an awfully good one.

Quote of the day

"When in doubt, tell the truth."

- Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)