Fine Line Between Being Honest and Truthful

"What is the difference between honesty and truthfulness?" -Father Elmer Mangalinao asked.

Tita Fe and I looked at each other and was like "Huh?? Isn't it the same?"

Then things ran through my mind about "Pagpapakatotoo" which is I think being stereotyped and is being defined as showing your bad side, or how arrogant you can react to a particular situation and be stubborn enough to say that people should not care since IT WAS YOU that YOU are showing.. take it or leave it they brag. You see how reality T.V. show participants does this,

One of the many examples: Pinoy Big Brother Season 2...that time of Wendy Valdez and Bea Saw conflicts. Wendy would accuse Bea of being safe since Bea doesn't retalliate, a Psychology graduate so maybe she just wants to be rational. The exact oppostie, Wendy would always express her rage.. and next to that she'd always state that she's just being real.

Next example: PBB Teen edition Season 2: Rona and Priscilla. Priscilla stated multiple times that she was just being real. Rona on the other hand, I remember said that "Pagpapakatoo doesn't mean pagiging masama" or something like that.


Then it made me think, "Yeah? why does everybody use the term "Nagpapakatotoo ako" when in fact, they sound like it's as good as saying "I have issues and bad attitudes".. (now wouldn't it be more true?:-P)

And now going back to the mass., according to father Elmer 's explanation, this is how it goes and I think I believe so:

Being HONEST means YOU are true to what you do and say because YOU measure things on how YOU think and feel.. Meaning YOU want to express YOURSELF to others as the raw YOU.

Now being TRUTHFUL, he says, Is much supreme than being honest. because sometimes, being honest doesn't mean you're always truthful. But by being truthful, you are always honest. Because in being truthful, you consider OTHERS. This time you don't measure things on how you think and feel alone but also the people around you and especially the people involved. This does not ask us to be very analytical, just be rational.

This is his example:

HONEST: I'm a married man, I work in an office miles from my wife and home. I've a beautiful and very attractive secretary. She told me she likes me, I told her I'm attracted to her too..who wouldn't with how she looks? and so we had an affair. I'm just being honest. it's what I feel. I've to let it out.

TRUTHFUL: I'm a married man, I work in an office miles from my wife and home. I've a beautiful and very attractive secretary. She told me she likes me, I told her I'm attracted to her too..who wouldn't with how she looks? but then I have a wife and children. They are my Family. I am committed, so my secretary and I shouldn't have an affair.

"Family is not just about your feelings for them. Family is a decision" -father added.

Do you guys get the point?

So then it's crystal clear for me. The people I cited above as examples are for me the perfect manifestations of these. If before I would wonder "Who's really the one who's NAGPAPAKATOTOO??", Now I think I can just determine who's being honest and who's being truthful.

In tagalog it may be a question: Kung ganon, anung tagalog sa pagiging "Honest" at "Truthful"? ano ang right english for "Pagpapakatotoo".. for me, make it a phrase: "Nagpapakatotoo ako sa sarili ko" for HONESTY and "Nagpapakatotoo ako sa lahat" for TRUTHFULNESS. It is sometimes correlated., and sometimes, also different. Naturally, I guess you'll understand by situation.

So please. Kids, Adults.. Enough of the Bragging like you're REAL for real. Scan through.. Maybe you're just having tantrums.

BOW.

and PEACE.