It seems like this discussion might cover power imbalances between speaker and listener more. For example, in the border agent example, a border control agent has vastly more power than someone trying to enter the country. This power gives them the “right” (read: authority) to ask all sorts of question, the legitimacy of which might be debatable. Does deep honesty compel you to provide detailed, non-evasive answer to questions you personally don’t believe the interlocutor has any business asking you? The objective of such interactions is not improving the accuracy of the border agent’s worldview and it is unlikely that anything you say is going to alter that worldview. It seems like there are many situations in life where you have little choice but to interact with someone, but the less you tell them the better. There’s a reason witnesses testifying in a courtroom are advised to answer “yes” or “no” whenever possible, rather than expounding.
It seems like this discussion might cover power imbalances between speaker and listener more. For example, in the border agent example, a border control agent has vastly more power than someone trying to enter the country. This power gives them the “right” (read: authority) to ask all sorts of question, the legitimacy of which might be debatable. Does deep honesty compel you to provide detailed, non-evasive answer to questions you personally don’t believe the interlocutor has any business asking you? The objective of such interactions is not improving the accuracy of the border agent’s worldview and it is unlikely that anything you say is going to alter that worldview. It seems like there are many situations in life where you have little choice but to interact with someone, but the less you tell them the better. There’s a reason witnesses testifying in a courtroom are advised to answer “yes” or “no” whenever possible, rather than expounding.