R0110

Part 3 (Forms of Honesty)
Part 4 (Blurred Lines)
Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)

Project Sources:

BOOKS

The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves by Dan Ariely 2012

The Post-Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life (Google eBook) by Ralph Keyes 2004

Encyclopedia of Deception by Timothy R. Levine 2014

WEBSITES

“Academic Integrity: Types of Dishonesty” by Perdue University [link]

“Types of Academic Dishonesty” by DePauw University [link]

“Honesty/Truthfulness; Sincerity” by Roy Posner & MSS [link]

“Honesty: 4 Levels at which to be Honest” by Gwen Channer 2010 [link]

“Stage of Honesty” by Evan O’Ryan 2014 [link]

REFERENCES

“Dictionary.com” [link]

DEAD LINKS:

Websites used in this project that are no longer up or running

“Two Kinds of Honesty” by Jo Parfitt [link]

Monday, June 16, 2014

Honesty: Part 4 (Blurred Lines)

There are times when classifying a statement as either honest or dishonest doesn't quite cut it. If you make a joke, but someone takes what was said seriously, and you sort of meant it, but not as exaggeratedly as they took it, that could be considered both honest and dishonest.

Here are 5 examples where a statement or action could be less and more than honest simultaneously:

1) Metaphor (stating something as truth [that isn't] to express something that is; he is a lion)

a) Hyperbole (intentional exaggeration to prove a point, not to be taken seriously - the sandwich was like 3k bucks!)

2) Hypothetical (statements occurring in possible [likely or not] scenarios, but not reality; can sometimes carry implications that get taken seriously)

3) Joking (humorous statements, true or not, especially stories with a funny punchline)

a) Sarcasm (irony or mocking; usually showing dislike/contempt for a person or situation)

4) Carelessness (harming or disabling resources so others cannot use them - cutting tables & illustrations out of books for personal use) [see Cheating and Contractual]

5) Brutal Honesty (sometimes called being "too honest": unnecessarily bringing up more than what is required or asked for; in response - do you like my shirt? No, I actually HATE it, and I don't like your pants either!)

Thread Index [Links]:

Part 3 (Forms of Honesty)
Part 4 (Blurred Lines)
Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)

Project Sources:

BOOKS

The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves by Dan Ariely 2012

The Post-Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life (Google eBook) by Ralph Keyes 2004

Encyclopedia of Deception by Timothy R. Levine 2014

WEBSITES

“Academic Integrity: Types of Dishonesty” by Perdue University [link]

“Types of Academic Dishonesty” by DePauw University [link]

“Honesty/Truthfulness; Sincerity” by Roy Posner & MSS [link]

“Honesty: 4 Levels at which to be Honest” by Gwen Channer 2010 [link]

“Stage of Honesty” by Evan O’Ryan 2014 [link]

REFERENCES

“Dictionary.com” [link]

DEAD LINKS:

Websites used in this project that are no longer up or running

“Two Kinds of Honesty” by Jo Parfitt [link]

Honesty: Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for... The long list of "Forms of Dishonesty" :)

There are a surprisingly large number of ways one can be dishonest. To classify any of the following forms of dishonesty (listed below), one should 1st acknowledge how many are involved in the deception. Each form of dishonesty can actually be considered two (either Individual or Collusion forms), by considering this fact.

Number Involved
a) Individual (an individual who deceives; any form of dishonesty performed by an individual)
b) Collusion (grouping in order to deceive; any form of dishonesty performed by a group)

After reading the following list, you can now have specific terms describing the dishonesty you see (as well as your own dishonesty) -- or reference back to figure it out.

What One Say
1) Fabrication (outright lie; usually believable enough to go unquestioned; didn’t happen)

a) Falsification (deliberate unauthorized misrepresentation of info . Ex: reporting false data, research, reports, or citations)

2) Tailoring (exaggeration of parts; emphasizing aspects to distract from others – happened, but they’re making it sound like something else)

3) Doctoring (half or semi-truths – some of it happened)

a) Addition (sandwiching or weaving fabrications between truths) [see Fabrication]

b) Omission (omitting parts of truth) [see Withholding]

4) Tacit (understood usually without open expression; allowing others to believe falsely; going along with incorrect statements or assumptions others posit)

a) Active (agree with incorrect assumptions - suggest what they say is true - cashier asks if change is correct, but gave an extra $10, you say yes)

b) Passive (allow others to believe incorrect assumptions; never correct them - get an extra $10 as change at a store, just take it and leave)

5) Ambiguity (statements that can be taken multiple ways; speaking vaguely) [see Omission]

6) Withholding (neglecting to reveal relevant information others wouldn't likely think without help)

Words Relative to Action
7) Feigned Ignorance (playing dumb; neglecting knowledge one has – don’t know what you’re talking about)

8) Hypocrisy (living contrary to advice one gives; not taking one’s own advice – you should quit smoking, I wish I would; philosophy living in bad faith)

9) Plagiarism (claiming originality/ ownership of another’s work or idea; known yet un-sourced assertions – I think [other’s thought])

How One Achieves
10) Cheating (deceiving those to whom one is accountable to seem more efficient or proficient – wrote test answers on my hand)

a) Multiple Submissions (submitting work formerly used as if it were new & original work)

11) Bribery (to give or receive bribes, unfairly advantaging outcomes – the A+ on that test cost $100)

12) Contractual (breaking contracts or agreements, written, spoken, or understood – keeping or destroying library books)

13) Facilitation (turning a blind eye; allowing or aiding another's dishonesty; especially without their knowledge - letting others cheat off a test or copy homework; could be considered Passive Collusion)

Actions
14) Action (inconsistency between action and intentions; doing something in order to seem a certain way or promote an idea; transcending words by lying via action; kissing someone, making them think you like them, when you don't)

15) Impostor (looking a certain way to make others believe you are something you're not - dressing like an officer to scare a friend; going to a wedding in a suit for the food; etc.)

Thread Index [Links]:

Part 3 (Forms of Honesty)
Part 4 (Blurred Lines)
Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)

Project Sources:

BOOKS

The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves by Dan Ariely 2012

The Post-Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life (Google eBook) by Ralph Keyes 2004

Encyclopedia of Deception by Timothy R. Levine 2014

WEBSITES

“Academic Integrity: Types of Dishonesty” by Perdue University [link]

“Types of Academic Dishonesty” by DePauw University [link]

“Honesty/Truthfulness; Sincerity” by Roy Posner & MSS [link]

“Honesty: 4 Levels at which to be Honest” by Gwen Channer 2010 [link]

“Stage of Honesty” by Evan O’Ryan 2014 [link]

REFERENCES

“Dictionary.com” [link]

DEAD LINKS:

Websites used in this project that are no longer up or running

“Two Kinds of Honesty” by Jo Parfitt [link]

Honesty: Reflections

Every story has a beginning... This one begins with an obsession with being honest, bewilderment when others weren't, the idea of lying in general, and Lance Armstrong. It ended with feeling more open, and a less judgmental view of those that were less than honest, a lesser view of myself, and understanding honesty is more than just lying.

And despite the research I've done, there are many questions left unanswered; stones left un-turned.

Stones Left Un-Turned:
There are many unanswered questions I still have, with related thoughts and ideas for further study, or at least consideration...

• Big & Small - Are there different sizes of lies or dishonesty (big vs. little)?
• What makes something a big or small lie?
  • White Lie - What defines a white lie?
• Does the "size" effect how acceptable the dishonesty is?

• Liar - At what point is a person considered honest? dishonest?
• Honest Liar - Can one be dishonest but still considered honest? And vice versa?

• Justifications - What are common justifications for dishonesty?

• Morality - Is honesty good or bad? Why?
  • Are there times honesty is bad? When?
  • Are there times dishonesty is good? When?

• Religious Context - Why do most religions preach honesty as a principle?

• Why does the dishonesty of others feel so hurtful?
• Judging - Are we more judgmental of others dishonesty compared to our own?
• If we are dishonest, why can't others be?
• Solution? - Is accepting the dishonest nature of others and ourselves the healthy solution?

Why I Started This Project:

Lance Armstrong's Steroid Use

I always valued honesty as one of the greatest measures of a man's character... I felt like this single virtue was more important than all others.

The birth of this project began in 2012, or at least started having heavy contractions... It was after Lance Armstrong was stripped of 7 Tour de France medals for steroid and other substance use and abuses.

All growing up I heard motivational speakers, casual friends, religious zealots, and even family members talk of Lance Armstrong... If he can do all that, despite how far he had to come to get there, then you can do [insert personal challenge]. I would hear this statement echoing from radios, television, articles in magazines or online, and people's mouths everywhere.

When he admitted to steroid use, the moral of his life became: don't live a lie.

Loved Ones Lying To Me

But it wasn't just him... like I said, I was all about honesty -- being honest with others, and with myself was all I felt mattered in the end (like, big life picture view).

With my family, coworkers, and girlfriend (and one specific friend) lying what seemed to be all the time, I wanted to get to the bottom of it all... Why were these AMAZING people, many of whom I looked up to, lying to me?

And thus it began...

What I Think Now:

I Am Dishonest (And So Is Everyone Else)

I had no idea the magnitude this project would eventually lend itself to... After uncovering all the forms of dishonesty (allowing me to label dishonesty with titles), which is largely why I started the project, I realized how many titles there truly were. I realized that in a lot of smaller ways, I was dishonest!

I saw myself a little more realistically: a somewhat dishonest person... And not just that. I saw everyone as being dishonest to a certain extent -- even if it was just to themselves.

I Sympathize With / Understand Dishonesty

Because I saw the world (or at least the people in the world) differently, I felt more sympathetic to something I once thought intolerable... Oh, what would my younger self say if he heard me say that?

Whenever I feel like being dishonest, I weigh it -- I'm not saying I'm dishonest like it's goin' out of style, but now I understand why I want to be dishonest, when I feel like I want to, and I know what levels of dishonesty I'm willing to live with (which is still pretty thin).

Thread Index [Links]:

Part 3 (Forms of Honesty)
Part 4 (Blurred Lines)
Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Honesty: Part 2 (Overview)

OVERVIEW
Hopefully having a general overview before looking through the entirety of my research will help you understand honesty and dishonesty much more than simply reading a list of ways in which one can do them. Here you will see how and why we are dishonest, summarizing the forms of dishonesty into 2 forms, below:

How We Lie:
To be dishonest (especially to successfully deceive others with it), a situation must first present itself wherein the audience can only receive information from a single, second-hand source: you. A greater dependency on the subject’s words make the audience more vulnerable to dishonesty.

The 2 General Forms of Dishonesty:
1) Misleading (making something sound or seem like something else - misdirection away from something toward something else; misrepresentation)
2) Misinformation (untrue statements; lies; blatantly untrue, made up facts)

Why We Lie:
a) Avoidance (avoid pain for self or others)
b) Shortcut (easier way to accomplish desired outcomes)
c) Preservation (maintain a shared narrative; your family name or view others have of you)

Thread Index [Links]:

Part 3 (Forms of Honesty)
Part 4 (Blurred Lines)
Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)

Project Sources:

BOOKS

The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves by Dan Ariely 2012

The Post-Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life (Google eBook) by Ralph Keyes 2004

Encyclopedia of Deception by Timothy R. Levine 2014

WEBSITES

“Academic Integrity: Types of Dishonesty” by Perdue University [link]

“Types of Academic Dishonesty” by DePauw University [link]

“Honesty/Truthfulness; Sincerity” by Roy Posner & MSS [link]

“Honesty: 4 Levels at which to be Honest” by Gwen Channer 2010 [link]

“Stage of Honesty” by Evan O’Ryan 2014 [link]

REFERENCES

“Dictionary.com” [link]

DEAD LINKS:
Websites used in this project that are no longer up or running

“Two Kinds of Honesty” by Jo Parfitt [link]

Honesty: Part 1 (Intro)

Questions:
Do you really know what it means to be honest?

What is dishonesty?

Are there occasions where the lines between honesty and dishonesty blur?

Introduction:
“Honesty was once considered an all-or-nothing proposition. You were either honest or dishonest. In the post-truth era this concept has become more nuanced… Ethics are judged on a sliding scale.” (The Post-Truth Era)

Dishonesty is more than just lying -- it is intentional deceit. This reveals itself in more than simply saying that which is untrue. Honesty and dishonesty are much more complex and lively than we often give them credit...

We tend to think of them as fairly simple black and white opposites.

While researching, most of the initial sources are by religious sources (predominately Christianity) on the Spiritual need for honesty, but I tried to use more psychological or practical sources.

The average person supposedly lies almost 200 times per DAY... We are each dishonest liars, and will likely continue to be (but don't worry! So will everyone else :) So the more we learn of honesty, the more we learn about ourselves and the others around us.

Thread Index [Links]:

Part 3 (Forms of Honesty)
Part 4 (Blurred Lines)
Part 5 (Forms of Dishonesty)