Review essay for TOEFL writing section
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13 Sep 2018, 05:27
Could anyone please take out the time to review my essay for TOEFL practice and maybe give a few suggestions on how to improve. Thanks in advance.
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship between people. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
My response:
I strongly believe that honesty is the best policy. Having said that, I have also come to realize that nothing is absolute, including ‘truth’. Everything is relative, and like so many other things, whether one should tell the truth or not in a relationship also sometimes depends upon the situation. Our intentions and actions are dependent upon the context in which we see things and our previous experiences. So one should make an effort in rationally understanding the reason behind somebody’s thought process when told the truth.
In a situation where, a person has made a mistake or done something unintentionally and later realized that it might end up hurting the other person, I think coming out clean about what one did is the way to go. As until one tells the truth, one keeps on feeling guilty about that act of error. So, for one’s own peace of mind and clear conscience, I would recommend telling the whole truth. In the end, if the other person truly respects and cherishes the relationship, they would understand and let bygones be bygones.
Whereas in a situation where even telling the truth might not help the problem or maybe even make it worse, it is better to not say anything. For example, if somebody is behaving in an erratic manner because they are going through an emotionally difficult phase, it will not help to confront that person with the blunt truth. In that case, one should support that person and give them their space. If their behavior is going out of hand, then maybe it can be subtly pointed out in a manner that will not hurt their feelings too much but will also let them know what the issue is. Such situations are tricky and need to be handled very carefully.
As relationships can be very involved at times, there is no one right answer to that question. However, from my personal experience I can say that telling the truth is the right thing to do in more than ninety percent of the situations.