Daily Prompt: Truth or Dare

Posted in Challenges by angloswiss

Is it possible to be too honest, or is honesty always the best policy?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us TRUTH.

Guillotine

We had guillotines in Switzerland many years ago. Today the death penalty no longer exists in Switzerland. We have an army defending our borders against those that wish to attack our banks and deposit their hidden profits. Or am I getting that mixed up with politics? I took the photo at the Criminal Museum in Zürich on the occasion of an organised guided visit of the first aid group that I belonged to.

Is honesty the best policy? “Of course” said my mum and many other elderly people when I was a small unblemished example of homo sapiens. Today I am a golden oldie and am not so sure. I learnt a lot on the way and one of my lessons was if someone asks a question that might result in guilt then the first answer is “I will have a look”. I remember my working days where our boss, a lovely man, just wanted a quiet life in the office, time to read the daily newspaper drinking his coffee with no added problems. The telephone rings, he talks somewhat with an excited voice, there is a problem. He turns his head to the workers, including me, and asks “Did anyone ………? The question is not important, only the answer. The first reaction is silence. He looks intensely at one of the usual suspects, which usually might be me, for an answer. I had gathered experience through the years, especially with said boss, and so the first reaction is “I will have a look”. He then continues reading the newspaper, drinks his coffee and peace reigns.

The problem is not yet solved, but step one has been taken. He is convinced I care and I am looking. I forget the whole thing and hope he does as well. He generally does as the problem whatever it is, seems to be forgotten with the second cup of coffee and tenth cigarette of the day. It might be that the problem is not solved, he asks again in the late afternoon “Did you find anything out about …..?”. “I have to finish another business, but will have a look afterwards” I answer with fingers crossed behind my back.

Afterwards might not come and if all goes well the problem solves itself. If it does not solve itself, there is always tomorrow. I survived thirty years, my boss a little less and things changed to such an extent in the organisation that bosses seemed to become obsolete, the computer was to blame. Computers never make mistakes, only the people that use them? True, but computers cannot talk and the people can. If you are sly enough you can even bridge that gap.

You have guessed it, honesty is not always the best policy and if nothing else works, then hope that the others have found something more urgent to deal with and forget the whole thing.

I have just completed a form for my father for the financial side of his further care in England. My father, bless him with his 98 years, has lived on cash dealings all his life. “I do not want a cheque book”, “do not want a bank account” and so you cannot teach an old horse new tricks. The British government decided. as the form was too difficult for my father to complete, he should give it to someone else, being me as the only remains of the family. I am sitting in Switzerland now operating with the local council where my father lives in England. I could easily complete such a form for the Swiss authorities, with a little help from Mr. Swiss, but I am not an international finance expert. This time I had to tell the truth, there was no “I will have a look later”. I have now spent almost two weeks back and forth with a Mr. X in London discussing things. My father kept me waiting on a long distance telephone call to London searching for his insurance number, but success. The form was converted into a pdf document and now Mr. X had received it.

There are times when honesty pays and times when it is better left alone. You just have to judge for yourself.

Daily Prompt: Truth or Dare

Truthful Pingbacks

29 thoughts on “Daily Prompt: Truth or Dare”

Frances D

03/01/2014 at 18:04

LOL – my eyes popped when the guillotine appeared in my reader. My first thought; “What has Mr. Swiss done?!” 😉

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- angloswiss
  
  04/01/2014 at 09:28
  
  I wouldn’t use a guillotine in any case. There are other ways………
  
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  - Frances D
    
    04/01/2014 at 14:15
    
    You have me laughing out loud very early in the morning.
    
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Claudia H. Blanton

03/01/2014 at 18:06

wow, your father is lucky to have you! I understand the dealings with relatives that live in a different area of the world – my father recently passed, and I am the only daughter, so my mother had to get my support via internet, at least today we can do so. I love reading your blog, well written!

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- angloswiss
  
  03/01/2014 at 21:04
  
  Thankyou
  
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Pingback: The Bare Truth | A mom's blog
vicbriggs

03/01/2014 at 19:15

great one, 6645 😀

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Paulo Vasco

03/01/2014 at 19:22

Great post.
I love to read your view about honesty and Switzerland. With the Europe crises there are so many portuguese people working there. Many of them had been my students. But they love the country and vilages. They’re admired with people education, for example.
Regards.

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Paulo Vasco

03/01/2014 at 19:30

Sorry but just 2 doubts:
– How can I, when I write my post about honesty “do” a pingback with your blog?
– Where do I find those images you have here like “Zero to Hero”, Daily prompt and blogger? Where do I learn to “do them” and adapt them? Thank you very much.

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- angloswiss
  
  03/01/2014 at 19:58
  
  Yes we have many Portuguese in Switzerland. I once spent a weeks holiday near Albufeira and loved the country very much.
  For a pingback I do it the easy way. Go to where the challenge comes from Daily Prompt: Truth or Dare copy all the links and paste them onto your blog. They will automatically become Pingbacks.
  As far as images Zero to Hero are concerned, go to this link and follow the instructions.
  
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  - Paulo Vasco
    
    03/01/2014 at 20:13
    
    Thanks for you atencion and answer.
    I only have a doubt: I copy and paste all the links to the end of my post (from the Daily Prompt)?
    I was only doing a link to the Daily Prompt “of the day” in my post, but that is not enought isn’t it?
    Thank you very much 😉
    
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    - angloswiss
      
      03/01/2014 at 20:59
      
      Yes exactly.
      
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      - Paulo Vasco
        
        03/01/2014 at 21:05
        
        Sorry, should 1)I copy and past all the links from Daily Prompt to my post? or
        
        2)Shoul I still do a link to the prompt of the day in my post?
        
        Sorry to be so boring! 😦
        
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      - angloswiss
        
        03/01/2014 at 21:13
        
        All the links
        
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Martha Kennedy

03/01/2014 at 20:02

http://marthakennedy.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/406/

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areed090290

03/01/2014 at 20:43

I really like this example. I explained mine differently, as in I explained what brutal honesty was and how sometimes it isn’t always best via children

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- angloswiss
  
  03/01/2014 at 21:05
  
  You are right there, but at least you get the truth
  
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  - areed090290
    
    03/01/2014 at 21:06
    
    Yes, yes you do. No matter how much you hope and pray you don’t sometimes. 😀
    
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areed090290

03/01/2014 at 20:43

http://www.onesahmscrazylife.wordpress.com

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Robin

04/01/2014 at 05:22

I couldn’t agree more; that the situation determines the amount of honesty necessary. Sometimes, it is better to let things lie, until they settle. Often they pass without undo drama. Other times, honesty makes circumstances improve. Nice post.

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