What if we lived in a world where everyone was honest in every aspect no matter what? If someone asked you if they looked bad in what they were wearing, you would be honest and say what you thought. If someone robbed from a store and the police found the culprit and proceeded to ask the thief if he/she robbed, the answer would be yes. If the world functioned like this, policemen and other law enforcers' jobs might be easier, but what would happen in more serious situations? A mother would tell her children that their father left because he didn't love them, and vice versa. When watching television, our usual programs of beautiful people with flawless skin would be replaced with aging skin. I'm not saying that aging skin is something to be ashamed of; what I'm trying to get across is that it has become a natural instinct for us to hide our true selves in whatever we have at our disposal, be it a fake smile, an act of kindness disguised as a way to get attention, or a tummy tuck. If everyone was born naturally honest would our world become a tight-knit community that helps each other because we express how we truly feel, or would we become a selfish population that knows there are thousands of people that are suffering and we know that we can help, but chooses to do nothing?
This idea came to me when I first started reading Amusing Ourselves to Death, where Postman examines how entertainment has become a sort of filter to the serious things that happen around the globe. Do you believe that we are capable of being honest, but doing something good about it, or are we just evil leaches that only care for themselves deep down?
I believe that some people are capable of being honest for the good of others while some are only honest in order to benefit themselves. I do agree with when you said that sometimes it can be serious like when you said a mother would tell her child their father left them because he didn't love them, now that would seriously hurt the child but they would know the truth that would maybe save them some even more pain later on. Anyways, I don't go exactly towards one side but in between because it depends on the type of people.
ReplyDeleteHello Natalia, I do see where you're coming from. I believe we live in a sensitive time and people take words in a serious matter. We were now in an era where words are like sticks and stones, so if we were to automatically become honest about everything, I don't know what would happen. If on the other hand this were to happen over time, there may be a possibility that we may get used to it. If this honesty you propose were to happen in all of it's expectations, people will also be honest about their work. All stories on the news wouldn't be biased and only truthful. Just as how the book Where Good Ideas Come From describes it," The history of innovation is replete with stories of good ideas that occurred to people while they were out on a stroll" (Johnson 110). This means that there will also be the old serendipity with everyone, where everyone has an honest thought and doesn't have the capacity to plagiarize another person's work. Our world would benefit financially from complete honesty due to complete original ideas but digress in terms of emotion and well being.
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ReplyDeleteHey Natalie, so i have to start by saying that this is a great question! So we live in a world where words matter, what we say can affect how people see us and how we are treated. Honesty, of course, is a good thing, but it has its tolls. I don't mean to sound bad by saying it's good to lie sometimes, but it is. For example, if your friend is having a bad hair day and asked how he/she looks, I think it would be wise to lie and say they look fine. It not only helps your friend feel better, but also saves the drama that can follow.
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