While the adage suggests that honesty is always the best policy, a recent poll shows that very few Canadians are consistently straight shooters — often depending on who they talk to.
In a Research Co. poll released Wednesday (April 5), 66 percent of the 1,000 respondents surveyed said they never lie to their children on an average week. However, when it came to being honest with their parents, 52 percent said they were completely honest.
Fathers tend to be more honest, with 61% claiming to be completely honest with their children. This compares with 45 percent of mothers.
Meanwhile, 52 percent of respondents with living parents said they were honest. Among 18- to 34-year-olds, that number drops to 36 percent.
“Canada’s youngest adults aren’t particularly honest when they talk to their parents,” said Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. While 15 percent of sons and daughters aged 18 to 34 said they All or most lied to their parents and among 35- to 54-year-olds, that dropped to 7 percent. “
When it comes to relationships, more than 64 percent of respondents claim they never lie to their wives, husbands, girlfriends or boyfriends — and that includes 72 percent of those 55 and older.
60% of respondents admitted they were not straightforward enough with friends, while 62% distorted the truth on social media or in front of their boss. When co-workers are involved, that figure drops a bit, to 57%.
Canada’s most honest employees are in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with 69 per cent claiming to never lie to their employer, according to a poll. In British Columbia, 57% said they were honest.
Those who took the survey were also asked how authentic they thought people were based on 16 different occupations. 35% think federal politicians lie all the time. The occupations least likely to lie include TV and online journalists at 15 percent, print and broadcast journalists at 14 percent and pollsters at 13 percent.
polling