Has Honesty Become a Thing of the Past?

We live in a society where secrets are often the norm. It's not uncommon for people to lie to those around them and even themselves. There's been a lot of talk about how honesty is becoming something of a lost art, but is that really true?

Maybe it’s just the ever-growing prevalence of social media and celebrity culture that makes it seem like honesty has gone away, but we don’t think so!

In this blog post we'll highlight ten honest individuals who are making an impact on the world, proving that truthfulness does have its place.

First, let’s take a look at how honesty plays into the field of politics. Since our founding, the United States has prided itself on freedom of speech and a lack of censorship. Whether it be through the press or social media, politicians have never been able to practice much self-censorship, unlike some other countries where public figures must worry about being punished for speaking freely.

Then there are those politicians who still manage to make a difference despite being guarded with their words. Just look at former President George W Bush’s comments on same-sex marriage in 2004.

“I don't think that gay marriage is a federal issue,” he said. “I believe that a state should be able to make a decision. A lot of states have made a decision not to ... Most people agree that in a free society, people ought to be able to express their love and their fondness for one another. And if they can get married they ought to be able to get married.”

This quote shows honesty at its finest; it's full of openness and honesty, but it's also reserved enough so as not to hurt anyone's feelings or cause any controversy.

But don’t take our word for it—check out these other "honesty" moments from the political realm:

1) President Bill Clinton on Intern Monica Lewinsky:

2) John McCain on the "Troop-Up" Controversy:

3) President Barack Obama on same-sex marriage:

4) President Barack Obama about the Affordable Care Act and Obamacare:

5) United States Senator Ted Cruz on Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He, like so many others, was angry at President Bush over his handling of the aftermath, but he took his frustration to social media.

6) President Barack Obama’s speech on the Affordable Care Act after the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional in 2012. He took a lot of heat for disagreeing with the court’s decision, but he stayed silent when the court made its ruling. This tweet summed up his thoughts on the matter.

7) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in her 2008 campaign platform:

8 )This picture of President Obama’s "Hope" poster going up in a voting booth went viral after an organizing group posted it online. Many felt sad that this happiness was only temporary for those who needed to take part in the polls.

9) This tweet from President Obama in February 2015:

10) And this picture, which was posted by Fema-Fema in 2013. The agency let its followers know exactly what it's doing to help those who need it.

Now that you know a few of the honest people making a difference in the world, let’s take a look at some of the most honest companies who are making positive change known. These companies treat customers and employees with dignity and respect, even if it means going against the norm.

Here are just a few of the honest companies that are making their presence known.

1) Honest Tea

2) Red Bull, who did this after Hurricane Sandy:

3) Airbnb, who tweeted this when it came under fire for discrimination:

4) Zappos, who has an amazing culture built on honesty and transparency. This video is an inside look at how Zappos operates.

It's clear that honesty is still alive and well in many areas of the world today! We might not see it as often as we'd like in politics and other arenas, but it's still out there.

Just look at all of these companies, many of which have grown into massive enterprises. They've all made their mark on the world and continue to do so because they provide honest products and services to their customers and employees.

It's truly wonderful how honesty and making a difference are alive and well in today's world!

Article by: Team Armchair Travelers | Courtesy of: Travel Blog | Source Link: http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-blogs/article.jhtml?_cid=QDYWSVLYOZM&_cw=1001033

The Honesty Chair (a chair in a presentation that encourages honesty and positivity) is a marvelous idea, but apparently the Speaker of the House has a different view on the topic of honesty. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters on Tuesday:

"What you're seeing is the American people have an attitude that they have been lied to—by some of the members of Congress. They don't like it."

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) may not like it, but many Americans are taking this opportunity to call out the lies, hypocrisy and corruption being perpetrated by our government's elected officials.

The Honesty Chair was created by Chris Creamer's Sports Blog and is making appearances at press conferences across the country, encouraging reporters, candidates and lawmakers to speak honestly about issues facing the American people.

The chair was featured in The Washington Post, and it's being used at press conferences in New Hampshire and Ohio this week.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/dissenting-opinions/honesty-chair-makes-appearance-at-congressional-press-conferences

What would you call it? What is honesty? And why is it so important? In this post, we look at the definitions of honesty and focus some of the words and phrases that are sometimes used to define it. In addition, we share how honesty has been defined by influential philosophers throughout history, including Marcus Aurelius and Socrates.