becauseintentionsarecloselyrelatedtofairnessandcertainlyaffectthedegreeofhonesty/dishonesty,thereisawidespreadconfusionabouthonesty--andageneralbeliefthatbeingdishonestmeansthatonealwayscorrectlyunderstandsiftheirbehavioriseitherhonestordishonest.self-perceptionofourmoralityisnon-staticandvolatile.it'softenatthemomentwerefusetoconsiderotherperspectivesthatthereisaclearindicationwearenotpursuingthetruth,ratherthansimplyandexclusivelyatthemomentwecanmusterupevidencethatweareright.socrateshadmuchtosayabouttruth,honestyandmorality,andexplainedthatifpeoplereallyunderstoodthattheirbehaviorwaswrong—thentheysimplywouldn'tdoit—bydefinition.unfortunately,honestyinthewesterntraditionhasbeenmarginalizedtospecificinstances—perhapsbecauseathoroughunderstandingofhonestycollideswithideologiesofalltypes.ideologiesandidealismoftenexaggerateandsuppressevidenceinordertosupporttheirperspectives—attheexpenseofthetruth.thisprocesserodesthepracticeandunderstandingofhonesty.toanideologistthetruthquiteoftenbecomesinsignificant,whatmattersmostaretheiridealsandwhateversupportstheirdesirestoenjoyandspreadthoseideals.
humanbeingsareinherentlybiasedaboutwhattheybelievetobegoodduetoindividualtastes&backgrounds,butonceoneunderstandsthatadecidedlybiasedapproachtowhatistrue—isinherentlydishonest,onecanalsounderstandhowidealismandideologyhavepoorlyservedthequestforanhonest,moralsociety.bothhonestyandmoralityrequirethatwebaseouropinionsaboutwhatisgood—uponunbiasedideasofwhatistrue—ratherthanviceversa(determiningwhatistruebasedonwhatwefeelisgood)—thewayallideologieswouldhaveusbelieve.