George Orwell once claimed that “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” He was emphasizing the impact honesty can have for the recipient. When the truth is delivered, it can have an infinite number of positive influences on decisions and actions. Truth should always be spoken because it forms morals and improves health.
First, honesty must be expressed to help build principles. As Michael A. Greenberg wrote in his article “The Consequences of Truth Telling” for JAMA, "Physicians are members of an honorable profession. We are supposed to tell the truth and be examples of compassion, honesty, and caring for society." This quote by Dr. Greenberg expresses his thoughts on a doctor's place in a community as one of genuineness …show more content…
People value a doctor's compassion and caring disposition, and these traits would not be present in a physician that lied. When a doctor lies to a patient about a medical condition or a mistake he or she made, the doctor puts the patient's life in danger and takes away any respect the patient feels towards the doctor. A loss of respect in physicians may lead to fear and distrust in medicine. Tim C. Mazur supports that honesty is the foundation for morals in his article “Lying” by stating, "This apparent conflict between virtues is managed by most ethicists through a concept called the unity of the virtues. This doctrine states that the virtuous person, the ideal person we continuously strive to be, cannot achieve one virtue without achieving them all." The essence of virtue ethics is that, "to be virtuous is to be ethical," meaning that one who possess many virtues is moral. The person who everyone must endeavor to …show more content…
Richard Gunderman mentions in his article “Is Lying Bad for Us?” in The Atlantic, "Those who were able to reduce by three the number of lies they told had four fewer mental health complaints (such as feeling tense) and three fewer physical health complaints (such as headaches) than those who did not. " Gunderman was referencing a study which entailed a control set of liars and an experimental group of people told not to lie being observed for a ten-week period. The results concluded that those who were able to increase their truth-telling experienced fewer medical problems over time. Lying causes anxiety, which increases nervous thoughts and sends the body signals of stress, causing headaches and tension. To resolve the symptoms, a simple treatment is applied: honesty. By sharing the truth, all apprehension about the consequences of lying is dissolved. Furthermore, in the same article, Gunderman points out, "Over time, the habit of lying divorces us further and further from reality, so we see less and less clearly the choices before us and what is at stake in them. Eventually, we may find ourselves unable to see what we are really doing and how it is affecting others and ourselves." Gunderman's remark suggests that the truth can help one live a more emotionally connected and involved life. By living this way, illnesses such as depression can be reduced because relationships will be maintained and side-effects of
First, honesty must be expressed to help build principles. As Michael A. Greenberg wrote in his article “The Consequences of Truth Telling” for JAMA, "Physicians are members of an honorable profession. We are supposed to tell the truth and be examples of compassion, honesty, and caring for society." This quote by Dr. Greenberg expresses his thoughts on a doctor's place in a community as one of genuineness …show more content…
People value a doctor's compassion and caring disposition, and these traits would not be present in a physician that lied. When a doctor lies to a patient about a medical condition or a mistake he or she made, the doctor puts the patient's life in danger and takes away any respect the patient feels towards the doctor. A loss of respect in physicians may lead to fear and distrust in medicine. Tim C. Mazur supports that honesty is the foundation for morals in his article “Lying” by stating, "This apparent conflict between virtues is managed by most ethicists through a concept called the unity of the virtues. This doctrine states that the virtuous person, the ideal person we continuously strive to be, cannot achieve one virtue without achieving them all." The essence of virtue ethics is that, "to be virtuous is to be ethical," meaning that one who possess many virtues is moral. The person who everyone must endeavor to …show more content…
Richard Gunderman mentions in his article “Is Lying Bad for Us?” in The Atlantic, "Those who were able to reduce by three the number of lies they told had four fewer mental health complaints (such as feeling tense) and three fewer physical health complaints (such as headaches) than those who did not. " Gunderman was referencing a study which entailed a control set of liars and an experimental group of people told not to lie being observed for a ten-week period. The results concluded that those who were able to increase their truth-telling experienced fewer medical problems over time. Lying causes anxiety, which increases nervous thoughts and sends the body signals of stress, causing headaches and tension. To resolve the symptoms, a simple treatment is applied: honesty. By sharing the truth, all apprehension about the consequences of lying is dissolved. Furthermore, in the same article, Gunderman points out, "Over time, the habit of lying divorces us further and further from reality, so we see less and less clearly the choices before us and what is at stake in them. Eventually, we may find ourselves unable to see what we are really doing and how it is affecting others and ourselves." Gunderman's remark suggests that the truth can help one live a more emotionally connected and involved life. By living this way, illnesses such as depression can be reduced because relationships will be maintained and side-effects of