Can You Be Too Honest? - A.J. Jacobs

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/09/16/My_Life_As_An_Experiment_AJ_Jacobs

Author A.J. Jacobs discusses his foray into the enlightening and occasionally precarious world of "radical honesty," which involves saying what you're thinking at all times. Kanye West, he says, is a "posture child for the perils of radical honesty."

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An acclaimed journalist and a best-selling author, A.J. Jacobs takes journalistic commitment to a whole new level. His experimental and "experiential" undertakings have led him from conquering all 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica to outsourcing his entire life to India (yes, even his children's bedtime stories).

In the 2007 best-seller, The Year of Living Biblically, stoning adulterers and growing facial hair were just part of the fun when he decided to follow the literal rules of the Bible in a modern America. Join us as Jacobs dishes on his unorthodox lifestyle as detailed in this year's The Guinea Pig Diaries. - Commonwealth Club of California

AJ Jacobs is an editor at Esquire magazine. He's the author of The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, about his year spent reading the encyclopedia from a-ak to Zywiec.

His new book is The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, about his attempt to abide by all the rules in the Bible, from the Ten Commandments to stoning adulterers. He also wrote the articles My Outsourced Life and I Think You're Fat.

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[freesk8]

Radical honesty doesn't work because most people can not handle it.

They get too emotional about the truth.

In fact, most people who think they can handle radical honesty also can't handle radical honesty.

I think Spock and Lt. Cmdr. Data could probably have handled it. But they are fictional.

[Ko252]

or we starting excepting each other for what we really are.

[KellysGrrl]

I HONESTLY think A.J. is sexy-schmexy, no lie!

[chopin65]

To be totally honest would be a disaster.

[MrMetallica190]

Great man, i read all of his books and love them. Funny how he always describes himself (and not just physically!), ...this is definitely radical honesty! I wish that one day he ll mention my commentary in one of his new books, god knows when this time will come but... young german man is waiting for this moment ;-)

[GivenWillingly]

if I'd be saying everything that's on my mind it'd be like tourette. This isn't just dangerous it's plain silly. Not even 10% of my thoughts are relevant.

[fstwrtr]

radical Honesty leads to radical actions.. war would have destroyed humanity before it's first century

[6stringbadger]

I like the talk he did on the TEDTalksdirector channel where he discusses his year of living biblically. He outlines the impossible problems he encountered when trying to follow the literal rules of the bible for one month.

[Lihinel]

Well you can try, but you may want to stock up on halve automatic weaponry and ammunition first.

Also a pro tip:

Enraged neigbours with torches and pitchfork tend to ignore your honest warnings of opening fire if they come any closer, even if they speaking the thruth was what got you into this situation in the first place. Advised isa well aimed salve at the high of the feet, don't aim to high, they will run toward you anyway. And no worries, prostetic have really advanced, ask the guy next door

[WhyNotTruth]

Was this man once a chipmunk?