We are told by our parents, and by our society of the importance of telling the truth; and not just any truth, but the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. How many people actually consistently tell the truth in such a manner, and do so, always, is in all probability, incredibly low. Further to the point, most people have absolutely no problem with telling the whole truth, when they know for a certainty that by doing so they will be in no danger to themselves, whatsoever. Then there are others that will struggle with telling the whole truth, when they know that by doing so, such truth, will get someone that they like or admire in trouble, and do not wish to create harm for that person, or to be perceived as being a "rat" for having confessed to the truth of the matter. Then there are those other cases, in which the whole truth, has personal consequences, of which by admitting to the whole truth, this will create personal harm and damage, in which, many people have a strong unwillingness to make a case against their own self.
The very thing about truth, is that, if telling the whole truth, is only something that is done when a given person knows it will bring no harm to themselves or to people that they admire or are friendly to, then the entire edifice of truthfulness comes crashing down, for if the whole truth, only exists, when it is convenient for a given situation, then the whole truth will not be shown the light of day, in all situations, and especially in those cases, when it most especially matters. Additionally, the ethical purpose of the whole truth in the first place is for others, to actually hear or to have known the whole truth, for in order for there to be any real hope that good justice, fairly applied is actually going to be generated, the whole truth has to be out in the open. Instead, because so often, the whole truth is not available, explicitly or implicitly, then the justice so applied, is at best, educated guess work; all because, it is a known certainty that the whole truth has not been divulged or is not obtainable.
Any person that claims that they are a responsible person cannot possibly be telling the truth to that characteristic, if they are unwilling to be forthcoming and expressive of the whole truth, whether such is convenient, or not, for them.The thing about telling the whole truth is that such is not like a light switch, so as to be turned on only when convenient for a given situation and thereby turned off or ignored when it is not.Those that actually tell the whole truth in all circumstances, are by definition, people of the upmost integrity; and further, they are courageous, by that truth telling; for everything that happens has consequences, and the telling of the truth, is one of those things that can result in personal punishment, personal shame, and personal disgrace or the same to others.However, those that are willing to face the music, are also those that having learnt from their mistakes, are gifted therefore at discarding falseness and error; whereas all those that do not do so, will still face the music, but, in a dimension and time of which, the whole truth and nothing but the truth will be told, and surely then they will thereby reap what they have sowed.