# "I'm a very honest person"... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574 "2008-12-17T15:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/61 "2008-12-19T13:17:23Z")
G’morning melodyharmonius! When you say **“I make it a point to answer any question - so don’t ask a question if you don’t want to know.”** Do you say this _prior_ to someone asking you a question, or is this a statement you make routinely for some other reason? - Jess. ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/62 "2008-12-19T13:42:12Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > G’morning melodyharmonius! > > When you say **“I make it a point to answer any question - so don’t ask a question if you don’t want to know.”** Do you say this _prior_ to someone asking you a question, or is this a statement you make routinely for some other reason? - Jess. mornin’ 🙂 it depends - sometimes it’s because someone has asked “can i ask you a personal question?” or something to that effect. Sometimes it’s when I’ve elicited a chuckle or surprised response from someone for freely revealing information others might demur on. it’s usually not totally unsolicited, but may be in indirect response to an ongoing conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/63 "2008-12-19T14:51:05Z")
Hello again mh! While I myself don’t answer every question I’m asked, for various reasons, your preference and statement wouldn’t bother me. I wouldn’t put it in the same category as someone saying ‘I’m an honest person.’ True or not, that’s bragging at best and lying at worst, so from my perspective what you like to say doesn’t fall into the same category. You’re warning people, are you not, that if they’re going to ask you a question they’re going to get an honest answer? I think that’s fair warning to anyone who may not care for such candor. Just my two cents. - Jess. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/64 "2008-12-19T15:47:54Z")
Uh…so in general dopers agree that making broad statements like the one I first mentioned is usually a bad policy? **Love does not conquer all. Where is hell did you ever get such an idea?** ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/65 "2008-12-19T16:21:28Z")
> [@outside\_artist](#): > > Uh…so in general dopers agree that making broad statements like the one I first mentioned is usually a bad policy? > > **Love does not conquer all. Where is hell did you ever get such an idea?** It’s the message of 1st Corinthains chapter 13 - and the truth I live by. - Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/66 "2008-12-19T16:26:16Z")
Oh, well, then it must be true. I mean, it’s in a book and all. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/67 "2008-12-19T16:40:29Z")
G’morning outside artist! You don’t believe love conquers all because…? Just because it happens to be in the Bible, which was, by the way, the appropriate answer and Source reference to and for your question, doesn’t negate my personal experience in life. You didn’t ask me _why_ I believe it - you asked me _where_ I ‘got the idea.’ If you’d like a detailed play by play of the power of love then we’ll have to start another thread. I’ve seen the hardest hearts imaginable restored and regenerated by the power of love and the most evil-hearted of criminals weep like babies. There is nothing in this Universe more powerful than love - nothing. My life’s work as a missionary is preaching and teaching the love of God so I speak from experience. God _is_ love, so if you don’t believe in His Power, I humbly suggest that you take it up with Him. - Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/68 "2008-12-19T18:26:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I remember the fourth season of Survivor, where one of the contestants, Vecepia, continuously talked about how she was a Christian. The kicker was at one point where she stated that she planned on lying to the other players in order to win but said it was okay for her to lie because she was a Christian so God would forgive her. > > I think she may have missed some of the subtler points of what redemption means. Well, she did win… ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/69 "2008-12-19T18:44:03Z")
Think so? Revelation 21:8. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/70 "2008-12-19T22:16:30Z")
I am non-believer. Quoting chapter and verse just turns me off. I can’t help it. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/71 "2008-12-19T23:30:19Z")
Afternoon outside artist! I was responding to Mirror Image and the person he/she was discussing _is_ a believer who thinks God will forgive her for telling lies. My ‘Chapter and verse’ response addresses that concept. Sorry if it turns you off. I didn’t bring it up. - Jess. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/72 "2008-12-19T23:42:41Z")
dont ask me a question you dont want my honest blunt opinion on…and if you do and dont know me well I will usually ask if you really want me to answer that questoin before I answer. I have a reputation for being blunt but I dont get mean about it, I just answer the question honestly the way I see it. I think I am at least reasonable because people will some times seek me out because they know I will give them the best answer I can and not bs them. and I think most of the posters in this thread understand that all of the above rules are still not universal. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/73 "2008-12-20T00:21:34Z")
critical1 To what, exactly, are you referring ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/74 "2008-12-20T06:58:57Z")
> [@outside\_artist](#): > > critical1 > To what, exactly, are you referring lol did you ever just think you typed out a sentence or 2? yeah the last bit there was about the advice being fairly solid in the thread in general but you still have to apply judgment yourself to each situation and person. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574/75 "2008-12-20T10:37:02Z")
How about “Don’t ask me how I am unless you want a real answer”? Or “social conventions decree me to lie to you and say I’m fine?” Anyone trying to persuade me that he is honest, if I don’t know him well, is as good as putting a sign board on his back which says, “Liar! Liar!”. Of course, that is the first impression. It is subjected to change. Though “I be honest here” gives me the vibe that the person is being serious and I should remember what he says. Not believe, really, but to keep track of what he has said. Usually you need time to see if someone is really honest, so I am willing to drop some pennies first to see if he picks them up and returns them to me or keeps them for himself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-very-honest-person/477574.md?page=3)