The A to Z English Podcast A to Z Quick Tok 39 | Always Happy vs. Always Honest
In this Quick Tok episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Jack is joined by May, Layla, Hendrick, and Salimeh. The five of them discuss the following Would you rather? question:
Would you rather live in a world where everyone is always happy or always honest?
Transcript:
00:00:01
Jack
Welcome to the A-Z English podcast, where Jack and Social take you on a journey from learning the basics to mastering the nuances of the English language. Our podcast is designed for non-native speakers who are looking to improve their English skills in a fun and interactive way. Each episode covers a wide range of topics.
00:00:23
Jack
From grammar and vocabulary to slang and culture to help you navigate the English speaking world with ease.
00:00:33
Jack
Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm one of the hosts of the podcast. However, I am without social today, but do not fret because I've got some wonderful friends with me. I've got selime from Iran. I've got Leila from Saudi Arabia may from Malaysia.
00:00:53
Jack
And Hendrick, from Indonesia, guys.
00:00:55
Jack
How you doing today?
00:00:59
Hendrick
Good. Alright, I'm doing good.
00:01:02
Jack
OK, I'm doing pretty well actually I'm doing. I'm doing good. Yeah. And what I've got for you today, we're going to do a would you rather episode? And so I'm going to read you a. Would you rather question and then we'll go in a circle and I'll let you guys answer however you want to.
00:01:02
Salimeh
Thanks. What about you?
00:01:22
Jack
And then I will share.
00:01:23
Jack
My answer as well, so here is the.
00:01:26
Jack
Would you rather question?
00:01:28
Jack
Would you rather live in a world where everyone is always happy?
00:01:36
Jack
In a world where everyone is always honest.
00:01:42
Jack
There we go. So let's start with. Well, May is the one who came up with this one. So I'm going to give may the 1st crack at.
00:01:44
May
This is.
00:01:52
May
This is interesting. This is an interesting question for me. I will definitely go on.
00:02:05
May
For me if.
00:02:08
May
Everyone in this world is honest means.
00:02:14
May
There is no lie, no unfaithful, no doubt so.
00:02:20
May
If all this situation, everyone.
00:02:24
May
I don't have to feel.
00:02:26
May
Being cheated or being betrayed. So everyone will certainly live happily.
00:02:34
Jack
Ohh so you think honesty will lead to happiness?
00:02:35
May
Yeah, for all this.
00:02:37
Jack
So maybe you're trying to have. You're trying to have your cake and eat it too, huh? You want to have it both ways, happiness and honesty.
00:02:38
May
Yeah, because the.
00:02:46
Jack
That's a very may answer.
00:02:50
Jack
Alright, good. Good. I like it. I like it. OK, we'll go on a circle here. We'll go to Hendrick next. Hendrick, what do you think? World of happiness or world of honesty?
00:03:02
Hendrick
So for me, I think I would rather to choose.
00:03:06
Hendrick
To live in the.
00:03:07
Hendrick
World, which is the people, are happy because. Yeah, I mean like what we are looking for in this life is that happiness, happiness is the number one. Yeah, I mean like.
00:03:22
Hendrick
As as long as we are happy, I mean.
00:03:26
Hendrick
Like that's good.
00:03:28
Jack
OK. Even always happy though, even if something bad happens, you're happy.
00:03:34
Hendrick
Exactly. That's the worst.
00:03:35
Jack
All right, all right. He's sticking to it. He's sticking to his guns. All right. One for honesty, one for happiness. Let's jump over to selime. What do you think? Would you rather live in a world where everyone is always happy or everyone is always honest?
00:03:52
Salimeh
And then I would like to live in a world where people are always honest, because as I mentioned, honesty is being honesty can bring happiness and our kind of, you know, realistic person. So if you still if now people.
00:04:10
Salimeh
Honest with each other and I really appreciate this personality of all people. So unlike happiness too. But if something happened, bad thing happened in the world, then people still are happy. This is kind of awkward. So I don't like. I don't like this.
00:04:25
Salimeh
So yeah, I'm.
00:04:26
Salimeh
Definitely with honesty.
00:04:29
Jack
I mean, these are two kind of very strange choices, right? Like if you get in a car accident and you're like, thank you for.
00:04:34
Jack
Hitting my car. I'm so happy, you know.
00:04:37
May
You can't. You can't be laughing at that woman, right?
00:04:45
Jack
But what about? OK, I'm going to give.
00:04:47
Jack
I'm going to give Salima a hard time because this is her first.
00:04:49
Jack
Time on the show.
00:04:50
Jack
So alright, husband and wife wife says, do I look, do you like this dress? And I don't like the dress.
00:05:01
Jack
But I have to live in.
00:05:02
Jack
A world of honesty.
00:05:04
Jack
Is that? Do I tell the truth?
00:05:07
May
Yeah, definitely it's.
00:05:08
Salimeh
OK, after you say you're the honest answer, you know the husband, they can have fives. It's.
00:05:16
May
OK.
00:05:19
Jack
Right.
00:05:21
Salimeh
Yeah, the normal thing, you know the my life.
00:05:21
Jack
OK, OK, alright.
00:05:25
Jack
I don't. I don't like that dress. Yeah, I don't like your. You're bald. You know that? That's what she could say to me or something, you know. OK, Layla, let's, let's hear your.
00:05:36
Jack
Your answer here.
00:05:39
Layla
In my opinion, I would rather have to be in in the world with the honestly.
00:05:47
Layla
Yeah, because in case everyone is honest.
00:05:53
Layla
That will help each other with us to improve ourselves because we will know other mistakes from others. They already will tell us we do mistakes or do something not appropriate. Something like.
00:06:10
Layla
Like that. But in case we live in a world in a, in a world, in a world, how people there are heavy, they will never help to develop our community and we will just think that we do the right thing, but we in reality.
00:06:30
Layla
We don't do it so with honestly, maybe some people will will not like.
00:06:40
Layla
That, and maybe they will get upset about it, but eventually, honestly will be the good way to to reach the the good results and to be in a good community. And I think as the.
00:06:59
Layla
And the main mission we will be happy eventually because of our honesty.
00:07:06
Jack
OK, OK. So just like really pure honesty leads to to happiness. Alright, here's my I'm on the fence. This is a really tough one, actually. This is really tough because I'm not sure I like either world. I might. I might. I wish there were, like a third choice that I could live in.
00:07:26
May
What's your choice?
00:07:28
Jack
OK, well here's here's my problem with the world of happiness. If you have. If you have only happiness.
00:07:35
Jack
Can happiness exist if there's only happiness? Do you know what I mean? Like I only feel happy because sometimes I feel unhappy.
00:07:44
Jack
Like if I always feel happy, then happy is like my normal state, right?
00:07:49
Jack
And so then it becomes boring. And so you never get to really enjoy anything because life is always like a roller coaster ride or a theme park or something, right? You're just always happy.
00:08:02
Jack
However, like Layla said and uh.
00:08:06
Jack
And may and Selime mentioned.
00:08:08
Jack
If people are always honest with me sometimes.
00:08:11
Jack
I don't want.
00:08:11
Jack
To hear the truth.
00:08:14
Jack
You know what I mean? Like.
00:08:16
Jack
We say in in English we have an expression called. Ignorance is bliss, which just means like not knowing is is happiness, you know. And once you learn something, then you can't unlearn it. And so.
00:08:31
Jack
That way that can really make you unhappy too. But if I'm going to be honest, no pun intended with my answer.
00:08:40
Jack
I have to say I agree with Layla may and selime that I think honesty living in a world where everyone is honest is better than living in a world where where everybody is always happy, because that would be a crazy that would be awful. That might be hell.
00:08:59
May
Don't you?
00:08:59
May
I mean, I don't think that situation will happen. Yeah, anyway, because that doesn't make sense.
00:09:09
May
We went like laughing every day 24/7 without any sadness or any, you know, anything incomplete that will never happen. There must be some excitement.
00:09:22
Jack
Yeah, I agree.
00:09:25
Salimeh
It's like, yeah, it's like bunch of crazy people just gathering and laughing, you know, actually.
00:09:30
Layla
This is.
00:09:33
Jack
It is scary. It might be like a horn.
00:09:38
Jack
Yeah, people are dying.
00:09:39
Jack
And everyone's just.
00:09:40
Jack
Laughing and yeah, they're they're so happy.
00:09:45
May
Makes sense?
00:09:46
Jack
Yeah, I I think it's kind of like the do you guys know the yin Yang Yin Yang sign? You know, it's like a circle and then there's like, kind of a squiggly line through the middle. It's a it's a Chinese symbol. It's a circle, but it has the yin is the is in the top and the Yang is the bottom. The Yin Yang sign.
00:10:04
Jack
Some some of our listeners might know what what I'm talking.
00:10:07
Jack
About I think you know.
00:10:08
Hendrick
Yeah, it's.
00:10:09
Salimeh
I've heard.
00:10:10
Jack
Yeah, you can't really have happiness without sadness. I don't think one can exist without the other. It's they're two sides of the same coin.
00:10:20
Jack
But a world of honesty, I think is possible if everybody decides we're going to be honest with each other, brutally honest. At least we know how what people are thinking. And so I think that would be a better choice. Yeah.
00:10:34
May
Yeah, at least we can still see a smile on someone's face.
00:10:40
Salimeh
When we tell the truth.
00:10:42
May
You know any self the person on the other side know that we don't. We are.
00:10:47
May
Not lying to that.
00:10:49
Jack
There's too it could be.
00:10:49
Jack
Like, hey, I like that shirt. I like that dress. And then you feel good.
00:10:53
May
That we.
00:10:54
Jack
And you know they're.
00:10:55
Jack
Honest. They're not just, they're not.
00:10:56
Jack
Just shining you on.
00:10:57
Jack
They're telling you the truth, yeah.
00:10:57
May
Yes, even if the clothes doesn't look look nice. Maybe you can replace the sentence and leave it.
00:11:07
May
And if you wear blue dress, it will look better on you compared to this red event.
00:11:18
Jack
It looks good on you.
00:11:18
Layla
We could.
00:11:19
Jack
Though, yeah, there you go. OK.
00:11:21
May
Rephrase the sentence.
00:11:23
Jack
There you go. OK.
00:11:24
Salimeh
Psychologists usually recommend that you know, instead of using the negative sentences, you can change that to a positive way. So it's more you know.
00:11:34
Salimeh
Effective and better for communication.
00:11:35
May
We provide a suggest.
00:11:36
May
And on top of the site just complaining, I mean just what should we say? Condemning you offer a suggestion?
00:11:37
발표자
OK.
00:11:38
발표자
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:46
Jack
Right, and being honest doesn't mean you have to say something every time either. My mom used to.
00:11:51
Jack
Say if you don't.
00:11:53
Jack
If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at.
00:11:56
Layla
Just. Yeah, just.
00:11:56
Jack
All that's what my mom told me.
00:12:01
Jack
But in the happy world, Hendrick, in Happy world, everyone is a little bit crazy and cuckoo. Do you want to revise your answer or are you going to stick with your your answer?
00:12:11
May
OK.
00:12:12
Hendrick
Oh no, I'm. I'm still sick with my answer. Yeah, I I still want to live in the happy life. That's what I want it because I think, yeah.
00:12:19
Hendrick
Sometimes you know.
00:12:20
Hendrick
Like being honest, it's also, you know, hurt people's feelings. It's not just always about, like, being happy also. For example, like when you tell someone that you don't like.
00:12:32
Hendrick
Him or you don't like her? And I think that people.
00:12:37
Hendrick
The people that say that the thing the people wanna, you know, like like other thinking and maybe yes, they'll start, you know, like depressed because you know, like how people just because these people like I really know that, you know like people.
00:12:56
Hendrick
I mean like other people don't like him. Yeah.
00:13:00
Jack
Yeah, it'll hurt. You'll hurt people's feelings for sure. If you're. If we're always honest. But.
00:13:06
Jack
Honesty is the best policy as we.
00:13:08
Jack
Say in English.
00:13:09
Jack
So all right, there we go. I think honesty wins the day today. Honesty is the winner, the clear winner. Hendrick, we still love you. It's OK. Even though you're wrong. I'm just kidding. Yeah. How's the?
00:13:22
Jack
Love you guys.
00:13:23
May
Are you feeling happy now?
00:13:25
Hendrick
Yeah, I'm happy.
00:13:28
Jack
Good, good. OK. Well, I'm happy because I got to hang out with you guys so. And that's the. And I'm being honest and I'm happy. So there we go. All right.
00:13:37
Layla
They are too.
00:13:39
Layla
Happy and honest.
00:13:40
Jack
Listeners out there. What do you think about this? Would you rather live in a world where everyone is always happy, or a world where everyone is always honest? Let us know what you think by sending us an e-mail at A-Z, englishpodcast@gmail.com or leave a comment on our website A-Z englishpodcast.com.
00:14:00
Jack
And don't forget to join our WhatsApp group. We've got great things happening in the WhatsApp group, lots of different groups. What do you guys think about the multiple groups like the news?
00:14:10
Jack
Group and the.
00:14:11
Jack
I don't know what there's so many right.
00:14:14
Salimeh
And my my favorite one is the only version.
00:14:18
Salimeh
I'm more active in like I love that.
00:14:21
Jack
You'd like to, but yeah, I.
00:14:22
Salimeh
Like steak?
00:14:23
Salimeh
OK. Yeah, I like speaking. I'm too lazy to write and I hate grammar. I'm selling things. So yeah, now I'm working on the part of my says that I'm better. So speaking either I prefer speaking so I'm more active in the only voice in school. This is a test.
00:14:39
Jack
Only voice. And actually, that's my new habit, is to only reply in voice notes. Now because I'm so lazy, I've got fat thumbs. I can't type very fast. I make a lot of mistakes.
00:14:46
May
Yeah. Yes, like I notice that you prefer voicemail. Sorry. Voice not these days.
00:14:55
Jack
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's a pure laziness. It's just pure laziness. So.
00:15:00
Jack
Yeah, I have.
00:15:00
Jack
To leave voice notes. All right, well, like I said, listeners out there, if you want to enjoy conversations with this group right here, these guys are really active in the WhatsApp groups. Join our WhatsApp group. We'll move you into the main group.
00:15:16
Jack
And you can even join two weeks of free online zoom lessons with yours truly. I'm the teacher in the group, and you can join VIP status if you want to continue past those two weeks for just $10 a month.
00:15:30
Jack
So it's a, it's a great deal you get.
00:15:34
Jack
What are we up to 16 lessons?
00:15:35
Jack
A month now.
00:15:36
May
Yes, including Sweden. Sweet, I think.
00:15:37
Jack
Yes, yes.
00:15:41
May
We get 20.
00:15:43
Jack
I think it's 20.
00:15:43
Jack
I think there are 20 classes. If you if you count the student LED class on Tuesdays, so Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Yeah, it's fantastic. It's a great deal and.
00:15:54
Jack
It's all on online.
00:15:54
Salimeh
It's various topics.
00:15:56
Jack
Various topics, yeah, we we had a a wild conversation yesterday.
00:16:00
Jack
So yeah, anyway it's it's great fun in there and guys, thank you again for joining me. I really appreciate it. And we'll see you everyone next time. Bye, bye.
00:16:13
May
Bye bye.
Podcast Website:
https://atozenglishpodcast.com/a-to-z-quick-tok-39-always-happy-vs-always-honest/
Social Media:
Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/
Tik Tok:
@atozenglish1
Instagram:
@atozenglish22
Twitter:
@atozenglish22
A to Z Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcast
Check out our You Tube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8A
Donate to the show: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9472af5c-8580-45e1-b0dd-ff211db08a90/donations
Robin and Jack started a new You Tube channel called English Word Master. You can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aXaXaMY4P2VhVaEre5w7A
Become a member of Podchaser and leave a positive review!
https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-4779670
Join our Whatsapp group: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7
Intro/Outro Music: Daybird by Broke for Free
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/eaters/simian-samba/audrey-horne/
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy