How do you respond when somebody you have never met in person and only exchanged a sentence or two with online suddenly tells you they are "honest?"
I typically will trust someone until you show me I can't. Then hit the road. That is not to say I'm giving my car keys to a stranger.
Well, you've no way of knowing how honest the person may or not be considering your limited contact with them. If they don't get that, walk away now.
Honest people don’t usually feel the need to advertise the fact. Without context it’s hard to really advise you how to respond.
"Methinks thou dost protest too much" - Shakespeare.
Do not believe them! Truly honest people never give it a thought...have You ever said that to anybody?
I will ask: what do you mean being honest? Maybe this person will answer but keep asking questions until this person gets tired. "Scammers"
That person is the Judge, jury and the accused...
Everybody lies. Big lies, little lies, we ALL do it. Sometimes without even realizing it.
If the statement came out of the blue, I would probably probe him as to the reason why he said that. I would also verify EVERYTHING he says to the best of my ability.
My last boyfriend insisted he was the most honest person on Earth, and that he didn't tolerate anyone telling lies. Interestingly, he never believed anything I told him, but believed his lying girlfriend (I'm almost always in poly relationships). He would also lie constantly to his mother, but tell me that he only lies to her and no one else (he didn't want to risk losing his inheritance from her).
It took me forever to get out of his grasp. I will never put myself in that position again.
It could be a verbal tic. Like "I'm a very good driver" from the old Rain Man film. Seriously, someone making this claim has probably been called on something he or she already told you before, and this looks like a (clumsy) pre-emptive strike of some kind.
That the word "honest" even came up is suspect. Sounds too much like Trump.
To be honest, I'd give myself an A+ for honesty. I might be the most honest person you know. Honestly.
Do you have a reason to question their honesty? Do you give all people the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise? If you think all people are lying it doesn't matter what they say. If you give everyone the benefit of the doubt, then until they prove untrustworthy you can believe them. If you think about it, based on what people are saying here, if someone starts a sentence with, "To tell you the truth..." or "To be honest with you..." they must be lying. You don't have to respond to their claim at all or you could say "I hope you're honest" or "time will tell."