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The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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Shattuck: Lies can help find truth

By Ryan Shattuck

It’s all right. I can handle the truth. I wouldn’t ask for an opinion if I knew I couldn’t take it. Don’t worry about me. I have a thick skin. I simply want to know: Do these pants make me look fat?

If the answer is “yes,” I don’t want to hear it.

Dishonesty is a sticky substance. Its caustic matter worms its way through nearly all aspects of our lives, from politics and entertainment to relationships and crummy columns written in The Daily Utah Chronicle by Ryan Shattuck. Nearly everyone will agree that dishonesty should be avoided like the plague — or Chuck Norris — but what does one do when dishonesty shows up, despite our best intentions? Many of us would probably agree that we don’t take issue with dishonesty, as long as it’s happening to someone else. A president impeached for lying about oral sex? A celebrity disgraced for lying about drugs? A reporter fired for plagiarism? Wonderful — as long as it’s “them” and “not me.” Dishonesty is the green material used on Nickelodeon’s “You Can’t Do That on Television” — no one wants to be slimed themselves, but it’s entertaining to watch it happen to someone else.

I recognize that it might seem curious — and even hypocritical — for someone such as myself, a “humor” columnist, to write about a topic such as dishonesty when my idea of “research” consists of blatantly copying from Wikipedia, making up facts as I go and transcribing my conversations with a homeless guy named Carl. However, I suppose the same argument might be raised if Stephen Colbert advocated “sincerity” or if Ryan Seacrest advocated “talent.” One doesn’t need to actually employ a particular topic to have an opinion on that topic.

My personal opinions aside, where does one draw the line when deciding between honesty and dishonesty? Does one employ honesty when asked “Does my breath smell?” Should one answer “yes” to “Have you finished that document?” Is “Very much so” the appropriate answer to “Do these glasses make me look like Carrie Donovan?”

NPR’s current events talk show, “Talk of the Nation,” recently explored the topic of honesty. Amy Dickinson, a syndicated advice columnist, answered listeners’ questions and encouraged honesty in most situations, though approving of white lies in difficult situations. Brad Blanton, author of the book Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life By Telling the Truth, disagrees with the notion of constructive white lies and believes that 100 percent honesty, even if brutal, can be healthy for relationships. This is a different view from what most people believe, including myself. On the one hand, perhaps true honesty can be appropriate without becoming brutal.

However, on the other hand, I can’t see any advantage to telling my boss that I was five minutes late to work because I was watching “Project Runway” on YouTube.

If the healthiest relationships are based on honesty, it would therefore make sense why many of us also demand clarity and honesty in our politics, media and entertainment. In this presidential election, much is often said and asked of who’s being more authentic. Some pundits have argued that John McCain rose past Mitt Romney because of his authenticity. The same has also been said of Barack Obama’s delegate lead over Hillary Clinton. It appears as though American voters have become so frustrated with the media’s and politicians’ attempts at spinning stories and dodging the truth that many simply want a president who will be honest with the public. Most people understand that “politician” is Latin for “one who lies through one’s teeth to be elected,” but can it be possible in this presidential election to transcend this presumption?

It can be difficult to traverse the constant barrage of truths, half-truths and flat-out lies that are constantly thrown at us. How is one to discern the difference among CNN’s, Fox News’s, MSNBC’s, the blogosphere’s, late-night talk show hosts’ and one local make-it-up-as-you-go columnist’s coverage of a story? The truth might not always be out there and true honesty might be difficult to find. The bright side to this issue is that although we might not necessarily have control of the honesty of politicians and the media, at least we have control when it comes to the honesty in our personal relationships.

To remind myself of the importance of honesty, I have a framed quote by Mark Twain above my bed that reads, “Truth is the most valuable thing we have, so I try to conserve it.” This reminds me that I would have no problem in telling Twain that those pants make him look fat.

No, I don’t have a framed quote by Twain above my bed.

That was a lie.

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