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Keller @ Large: We Need More Honesty

BOSTON (CBS) - Let's be honest with one another – about honesty.

What is honesty?

The dictionary says it's a) fairness and straightforwardness of conduct; and b) adherence to the facts; sincerity.

Sounds simple, but it's really not.

Consider how hard it can be to see politicians as honest. One woman's definition of fairness is another's excessive taxation, onerous health-insurance mandate, or heavy-handed government intrusion.

Fairness is an elusive concept in many areas of life; in fact, life itself is often unfair.

But I guess in order to be honest, we have to keep trying to be fair to one another.

Straightforward conduct sounds easy, but it isn't.

Think of all the little evasions we engage in every day, in order to get by at work, to keep the peace in our relationships, to make the world go around. I'm always advocating for good manners, but sometimes, let's be honest, they are the opposite of straightforward conduct.

Adherence to the facts should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it feels like one of the fastest-growing parts of our culture is the make-your-own-facts cult, where subjectivity rules and objectivity is met with hostility.

And the final definition of honesty – sincerity.

What does that mean? "Freedom from hypocrisy," says Webster's, doing what you say and saying what you mean. And another definition – "honesty of mind."

There's that word again.

Can we agree we need more honesty, not less?

And that no one seems to have the market cornered on it?

Listen to Jon's commentary:

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