Key Difference – Honesty vs Truthfulness
Honesty and truthfulness are words that often overlap on one another, but a key difference between the two can be pointed out. Honesty refers to the quality of being truthful and sincere, while truthfulness refers to the quality of telling the truth. The main difference between honesty and truthfulness is that truthfulness is limited to telling the truth but being honest also includes the quality of being sincere.
What is Honesty?
Honesty emphasizes that an individual is not only truthful but also sincere in their words and actions. It is considered as one of the most sacred and valued virtues that a person can possess in almost all societies and religions. Parents encourage children to be honest from a young age. However, some argue that honesty is a completely subjective perspective, unlike truthfulness, which is objective.
What is Truthfulness?
Truthfulness refers to telling or expressing the truth, with the truth being the factual reality. For something to be true, it has to be acknowledged as the truth by people. Being truthful is when an individual corresponds to this factual reality. The difference between truthfulness and honesty emerge in this particular situation. Truthfulness is corresponding to the facts, but these facts can sometimes be misleading. A person can be truthful by expressing these facts, but they cannot become honest through this endeavor because the mere expression of truth is insufficient to be qualified as honesty.
What is the difference between Honesty and Truthfulness?
Definitions of Honesty and Truthfulness:
Honesty: Honesty refers to the quality of being truthful and sincere.
Truthfulness: Truthfulness refers to the quality of telling the truth.
Characteristics of Honesty and Truthfulness:
Nature:
Honesty: Honesty is being sincere in the expression of truth.
Truthfulness: Being truthful is corresponding to facts or reality.
Outlook:
Honesty: Honesty can sometimes be a subjective reality.
Truthfulness: Truthfulness is usually objective.
