Here's a good one, regarding candor and making mistakes...from the Awake 2/8/73, pp 3-4, an article titled The Wisdom of Admitting Mistakes:
In contrast to such bad examples we have very good ones where faithful servants of Jehovah God freely admitted their mistakes, the record of which bears testimony to the honesty and candor of the writers of the Bible. Moses recorded his mistake of losing his temper on one occasion, resulting in his being denied entry into the Promised Land. (Num. 20:7-13) There was also Job, who, while insisting on his integrity, had made the mistake of being more concerned with his own vindication than that of God. Admitting it freely, he said: "I talked, but I was not understanding . . . I make a retraction, and I do repent in dust and ashes."—Job 42:3-6.
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Of course, admitting we made a mistake is the right, honest and decent thing to do. But it is more than that. It is also the course of wisdom. For one thing, admitting to having made a mistake is a lesson in humility. This, on the one hand, protects us from the snare of pride, which is ever ready to entrap us. And, on the other hand, the humbling experience of admitting we made a mistake may well serve to make us more careful so that we will be less likely to make that same mistake again. Wisely we are warned: "He that is covering over his transgressions will not succeed [with God], but he that is confessing and leaving them will be shown mercy"—by God and by God’s servants. Yes, the very confessing of our errors will aid us to leave them.—Prov. 28:13.
Admitting to making a mistake is the course of wisdom in that it builds in us strength and self-respect. Failure to do so is cowardly, and serves to weaken us morally, making it likely that we will continue to make the same mistake.
Further, admitting a mistake is the course of wisdom because it makes for better relations with others. When we refuse to admit we have made a mistake, we outrage the judgment of others; and they will conclude that we are either too proud, or dishonest, or too stupid to recognize that we made a mistake—all of which may well cause a barrier to come between us and those around us. Then, again, if we are willing to admit we made a mistake we will find ourselves more ready to sympathize with others when they make mistakes.
Most important of all, admitting a mistake will keep our relations with our Creator in good condition. Thus King David, by repeatedly and quickly admitting his mistakes, retained good relations with his God. King Saul, however, was reluctant to admit his sins; he preferred giving excuses, and was rejected.
Yes, in addition to the fact that to admit having made a mistake is the honest thing to do, it is also the course of wisdom. It helps to keep us humble. It also helps us to keep our self-respect and makes for better relations with others.
