Would you say honesty is always the best policy?
Honesty has as much to do with communication and emotional intelligence as it has to do with integrity. Travelers defines their brand of honesty as earning and maintaining the trust of their clients. "At Travelers, so much of our culture is built on trust - the trust we earn from our customers in challenging times and the trust we place in each other every day. That trust is built upon honesty, integrity, and accountability - values that serve as the foundation for all that we do." Focus on your integrity when answering this question. Explain that you are guided by logic rather than emotions.
"Well, I think honesty is the best policy when it is conducive to acting from a place of integrity. If a person decides to be honest with ill intent, that lacks integrity. If someone is being a gossip, then that also lacks integrity. So it all depends on the context and motives behind the honesty."
"Sometimes full disclosure can damage someone's self-esteem, and reality isn't always best expressed in full and can be self-indulgent based on the person's intention. In those instances, honesty isn't always the best policy. I feel that honesty is the best policy so long as the honest comment is not meant to be hurtful."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I do believe honesty is the best policy as long as it doesn't impact someone in a hurtful way.
Stephanie's Feedback
That's great that honesty is such an important quality to you! You should consider further developing this response in order to deepen its impact. Are there circumstances where you'd be less-than-honest in order to spare someone's feelings? Can you provide an example?
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