Overcoming Bias

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Requesting Honesty

www.overcomingbias.com

Requesting Honesty

Robin Hanson
May 24, 2007
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Requesting Honesty

www.overcomingbias.com

An old Bloom County Sunday cartoon has Cutter John in his wheelchair dressed as Santa, asking "And what would you like this year?" to Roland-Ann in his lap:

Truth. I’d like a little truth.  Openness .. Forthrightness … Directness.  For once, I’d just like a couple of those. 

Childhood seems to be one long series of adult deceptions.  Lies … Myths … Half-truths … Fibs.  Yesterday I asked my father what a "libido" is.  He said it’s a kid of guinea pig. 

So I think it would be nice, this Christmas, to get just a little, simple, adult honesty for once.  Yes.  It really would. 

Anyway … Thanks for listening, mister Santa Claus.  Please give my best to Mrs Claus, all the elves, and give Rudolph a big kidss just for me.  Good bye!"

By this point, John has his face in his hand, ashamed, and in the next panel says "I quit!"

This raises the obvious question: why don’t kids ask adults for more honesty, once they see that adults often lie? 

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Requesting Honesty

www.overcomingbias.com
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