08 October 2007

Truthfulness / Honesty / Openness

One of the more distinct traits of Sperbergers is our tendency to take things to their extremes. This is rarely appreciated by others, nor is it often appropriate for many situations - even when the thing in question is telling the truth.

I do not advocate lying, but there are three distinct levels of truth-telling (which I've learned from playing Texas Hold 'em Poker):

Truthfulness: Offering correct answers to questions only when asked directly, and only answering the exact question asked.

Honesty: Truthfully answering questions and filling in enough background information to be clear as to why you answered how you did. Details are most often left out.

Openness: Being honest while offering all information you have on the question at hand.

Openness should be reserved for a select circle of people - people to whom you would entrust Sparky if you went away for a week. Mom, Grampa, and Grandma are good examples. Later in life, you'll want to be open with your spouse and children. Being open with a doctor is also a good idea if you hurt and you can't figure out why.

Honesty is the best policy for closer friends, trusted teachers, and counselors.

With everybody else, I'd recommend truthfulness. Information is a valuable tool, like a hammer. Giving a hammer to a carpenter friend is a good idea - giving a hammer to a shady stranger... not so much.

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