Students

What does it mean to be truthful?

Being truthful is being honest in your actions, thoughts

and words.

Questions

-Why is it important to be truthful?

-What is the opposite of being truthful?

-What would you do in these situations?

a) You are shopping with your mom and you find a dollar on

the floor.

b) You broke the neighbor's window with your ball

c) You want some candy, but you don't have any money.

d) You saw a friend take a new pencil from your teacher's desk.

Parents

What does it mean to be truthful?

honest in actions, thoughts, and words;

Truthfulness packs a triple wallop....respect from others,

respect for others, and respect for oneself.

Children usually know the old adage, "honesty is the best

policy", but philosopher Immanuel Kant aptly put it, "Honesty

is better than any policy".  There is all the moral difference in

the world between taking this virtue seriously and taking pains

 not to get caught.  Character development is not a game

of "Catch me if you can".  It's about the kind of person one

really is.

How is truthfulness best cultivated?  Like most virtues, it

is best developed and exercised in harmony with others.  The

more it is exercised, the more it becomes a settled disposition.

Honesty is a fundamental condition for communication,

friendship, and for all genuine community.  It needs to be

taken seriously for itself, not just as "the best policy".

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