Honesty and Truthfulness

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Honesty and Truthfulness
???????? ?????Christine Hsieh ??
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NewsFinders keepers, losers weepers?

• WHO SHOULD LEGALLY KEEP THE WINNINGS FROM A LOST
  LOTTERY TICKET - THE WOMAN WHO MISLAID IT, OR THE
  MARRIED COUPLE WHO FOUND IT?
• It is an age-old dilemma.
• What should you do when you stumble across cash
  in the street - a 1 coin or even a 5, 10 or
  50 note? And how about if you discover something
  worth hundreds or thousands of pounds, such as
  jewellery or a winning lottery ticket?
• While some may hand lost property in to the
  authorities, many others seek justification in
  the playground chant "finders keepers, losers
  weepers".
• Yet, although the adage is often quoted by those
  who claim rights over their discoveries, the
  recent case of Wiltshire couple Amanda and
  Michael Stacey shows it holds little sway in a
  court of law.
• The husband and wife have been handed 11-month
  suspended sentences for cashing in a 30,000
  lottery ticket found on a shop floor, and
  spending half of it. And on Friday they were
  ordered to repay the remaining 15,000, plus 111
  in interest, to Dorothy McDonagh, who was able to
  prove she had bought the ticket.
• At a hearing in April, defence lawyer Rob Ross
  told the court "It is important for the public
  to know that 'Finders keepers, losers weepers' is
  not true and never was true."
• (BBC News, BY Lucy Rodgers)

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II. Discussion Questions

• Do you think the finder in the story is honest?
• If you are the married couple in the story, what
  would you do?
• What is truthfulness?
• Why is it important to be truthful?
• Is there a difference between honesty and
  truthfulness?
• Ref. Yes, you can tell the truth about something
  without actually being honest about your answer.
• Do you know what is white lie?

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III. Honesty Truthfulness

• Truthfulness means speaking of what a person
  knows without hiding any information. Honest
  covers a great arena. Chastity, honour,
  straightforwardness. Moral or ethical strength. A
  truthful person may not care about chastity, but
  an honest person is required to be such. So is
  the case with honour and straightforwardness.
• They are closely related. However, honesty is a
  broader concept. Truthfulness means that you tell
  the truth when asked. Honesty means that you act
  fairly as well such as not stealing or cheating
  in an exam. If you cheated in an exam and told
  people, you would be truthful but not honest.
  Generally, people who do not act fairly lie in
  order to cover it up so a distinction is not
  necessary

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Examples of Touchy Situations

• What will you say
• when your friend/student is madly in love with
  some one who does not suit her/him?
• when you dont think your friend/student is
  capable of achieving the goal s/he sets (e.g.
  passing an exam)?
• when you know a truth (e.g. of a family death)
  which is too cruel for a child?
• when being honest means revealing your weaknesses
  to the ones who trust and/or depend on you?
• Any other touchy situations?

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V. Further discussions

• How can you tell when someone is not telling you
  the whole truth?
• Are you always truthful?
• How do feel when you have been dishonest with
  someone?
• How do you feel when someone has been dishonest
  with you?

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More Questions re. Honesty

• Why is honesty so difficult at times?
• Describe a situation in which you appreciate
  people being dis/honest with you.
• How can you be honest and not hurt someone?
• Is dishonesty ever justifiable?

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More Questions re. Truthfulness

• What is a misleading truth?
• What professions are sometimes accused of giving
  misleading or half-truths?
• How do you know when to trust someone?
• Is it ever all right to give only a partial
  truth? What is the difference between telling a
  partial truth and lying?

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Related vocabulary

• (from the news article) claim rights over, been
  being handed suspended sentences (? being on
  probation), holds little sway over
• Honest (dishonest), sincere (insincere),
  guileless (sophisticated), without disguise
  (deceitful)
• Honesty
• To be honest (with you) honestly honest to God
• make an honest living (work hard on a job), Im
  nothing if not honest/generous.
• Integrity keep ones integrity as a professional
  without compromising oneself too much
• disguise -- I cannot disguise my disappointment
  at him. A blessing in disguise.

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Reference

• BBC news http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazi
  ne/8129534.stm
• ESL/EFL Classroom http//iteslj.org/questions/
• Rediff.com http//qna.rediff.com/questions-and-ans
  wers/is-there-a-difference-between-honesty-and-tru
  thfulness/12792091/answers