The Study of Persuasion
As we go through our day-to-day lives, it would be untrue to say that we do not lie at least once in a day. Even as we employ tactics of persuasion to get what we want or convince someone to agree with a particular viewpoint, lying may be inevitable. However, lying may be exhausting since it may need you to come up with more and more lies to back the initial lie. A lie may get out eventually and cause irreparable damage.
On the other hand, lying in some circumstances can be considered acceptable or even necessary. For instance, Blanton, the founder of the Radical Honesty movement, gives the example of lying to a Nazi if you had Anne Frank hiding in your attic. It is a necessary lie to save someone’s life.
I agree with the views expressed in the article “The last word: Nothing but the truth” and would use it in my life. Being honest can enrich many of our relationships. When used wisely, it helps better how we communicate, and consequently lets us experience quality relationships. Blatant honesty can be thrilling. It offers freedom from choice as there’s no other option but to be truthful. Openness allows us to build lasting relations based on the foundations of truth.
We can all benefit from being honest—however, not all the time, especially in relationships that are not personal. There should a limit to being candid, as evident in the article. The author refuses to tell the grieving older man his honest opinion about his poems after considering his situation. Sometimes, a little lying is okay as long as it does not hurt anyone or their feelings.
References
The Week (2009). “The last word: Nothing but the truth.” Retrieved on March 14, 2020, from https://theweek.com/articles/502072/last-word-nothing-but-truth