Another school assignment

**MOTHER'S NOTE: People with asperger's often have what is referred to in the literature as an "elevated sense of justice," which is actually used as a diagnostic marker. It is in fact one of the reasons that I thought T might actually really have asperger's when we first started researching symptoms. The following is one of his school assignments from early on in the year, and he means every word of it. He was slightly more than fifteen when he wrote it. When I read it, I couldn't help but think that it sounds like a much younger kid who still has a sense of black and white when it comes to right and wrong, someone who hasn't yet started to attempt real deceit in the course of pursuing self interest. It's actually one of the things I find endearing in what is otherwise a condition that I mostly wish he didn't have.


Why is it important to be honest?

Being honest is important. There are many reasons for being honest. Being honest keeps us from lying to others, as lying just gets people in more trouble. For example, if a child did something bad and then lied to his parents about it, and then they found out it was a lie, they would most likely be more angry at the fact that they were lied to rather than what their child did. Lying also forces one to keep telling more lies to cover up previous lies. They’ll eventually be trapped with no way out other than to just tell the truth. Lying will also cause people to trust us less. Being dishonest almost always comes back to haunt you.

Being honest allows us to avoid these problems. Being honest allows us to be truthful to others and ourselves. It is also important when being honest to be careful not to hurt some else’s feelings. For example, if a friend came and asked you what you thought of their new clothes and you told them you thought that they were hideous, they would be really offended. You could instead tell them that your taste is different from their taste, and then you would be honest without hurting their feelings.