Increased Usage of "Honestly" Observed
The word "honestly" has seen a substantial increase in usage over the past 25 years, according to data from the Corpus of Historical American English. This trend extends beyond casual conversation into various forms of public communication. Examples include its use in podcast titles, musical albums, artificial intelligence applications, and popular social media accounts.
Sociolinguistic Perspectives
Linguistic expert Amanda Brennan, known as the Internet Librarian, attributes the rise in "honestly" usage to the growth of internet culture since 2000. Brennan suggests that the proliferation of information and misinformation online has led to a perceived increased need for expressions of authenticity. Related phrases such as "not going to lie," "to be honest," "if I'm being honest," and "let's be honest" have also become more common in contemporary speech, reflecting a societal conversation regarding credibility.
Historical and Semantic Evolution
The term "honest" derives from the Latin word "honestus," meaning honorable. Christian Miller, a philosophy professor at Wake Forest University and former director of the Honesty Project, has outlined the word's historical evolution:
- Mid-20th Century: The word "frankly" was more prevalent than "honestly," and the two terms were not considered synonymous, with "frankly" often conveying a harsher or more factual tone.
- 19th and Early 20th Centuries: "Honestly" held a specific, morally charged meaning, typically signifying moral truthfulness in serious contexts.
Over time, the usage of "honestly" expanded beyond this narrow definition. Modern applications include:
- Softening Critique: Used to mitigate the impact of a critical statement.
- Signaling Vulnerability: Employed to preface an expression of emotional opening or personal feeling.
- Expressing Frustration: Utilized to convey exasperation or impatience.
Brennan also notes that among younger demographics, "honestly" can function as a linguistic filler, providing a speaker with additional processing time when formulating a response or personal truth.
Authenticity and Observation
The deployment of "honestly" occurs even among individuals whose historical conduct may not consistently align with complete veracity. Brennan references the "Big Brother eyes" theory, based on a 2006 Newcastle University study, which indicated that individuals are more inclined to behave honestly when they perceive themselves to be under observation (e.g., paying for items in an honesty box when eyes are pictured nearby). Brennan posits that the ubiquitous nature of social media creates a similar environment of constant scrutiny, contributing to the perceived need to emphasize honesty.
While the current digital landscape, marked by advancing AI, deepfakes, and disinformation, might suggest a decline in honesty, Miller, author of The Honesty Crisis, argues that data indicates the majority of individuals rarely lie. Earlier research on lying frequency is being refined by more recent studies suggesting it is less common than initially thought.