The Importance Of Honesty In American Society

Honesty has always been a value in American society. It has helped shape the society that we know today and is a factor in our everyday decisions. As honesty can play a role in our common decisions, the community we are surrounded in also has a heavy influence. This influences impacts the decisions we make and how we respond to the stimuli around us. Every society has its own rules and social norms that must be abided by in order for a society to function. For a society to function most efficiently, everyone who is a part of it would need to live by their set rules. Honesty plays a role in this psychological concept in our society. Our society has created a norm of honesty but also allows for lying so our community can survive. While dishonesty …show more content…
In the fast paced time we live in, people do not believe they have the time to explain what is happening in their lives, therefore they find it easier to say that they are fine and move on with what they are doing. These lies allow for us to move forward in society and without it, the whole system may fall apart. One of the strongest examples of this ideal is in politics. Many agree in saying that “dishonesty is inherent in electoral politics” and there is no way to avoid lying when being a politician (Bailey). When running for a political office, it is hard to always say the right thing. In many cases, politicians change their views to match those they represent, but are deemed as liars. They may be lying about how they feel about a particular issue, but their job is to represent their people, not just themselves, making lying in this case unavoidable. The dishonesty in politics is also seen in situations when politicians do not follow throughout on their plans to fix a policy. Some may consider this lying, but dishonesty in this sense is inescapable because more prevalent issues may surface causing the politician to change their …show more content…
In most cases, I find myself almost always taking the honest route. I find it easier to just be honest because it is too much work to keep up a lie. However, there are also times where I have told little lies as a way to follow the social norms and rules of the community I am a part of. These would be simple lies such as giving a more acceptable reason for being late or subtracting thirty minutes for the time I came home the night prior. Being late is not very accept in the fast paced society that we live in, even though people are running late all the time. In many instances, people find themselves blaming the outside environment for the reason they are late rather than themselves. It is easier for others to accept one’s lateness if it is the product of something that is out of that person’s control. The outside people will be more accepting in the society and the person who was late does not feel like an outcaste from the society. It is a method people have created in an attempt to maintain the peace of a community of people living together. Everything a person does will not be accepted, therefore, lying may be the only way to keep the peace in a community. Another instance when I have told a little lie for the sake on maintaining the peace would be when I tell a friend