nimblesnotebook-blog:

There are two types of honest people. There are honest people who tell it like it is, whether their comment is welcome or not, and there are honest people who stay true to their word and who don’t lie, cheat, or sneak around. Both types can share traits:

• Rude: Sometimes, an honest person can be rude when they point out truths. They may or may not realize that they are being rude. If they realize it, they might not care. If they do realize it, they might be reluctant to point it out or they might apologize for doing so. This is a flaw of being honest. It can cause conflict with other characters or it can reveal information that other characters wanted to keep quiet. Other times, people are honest because they like being rude.
• Playing Fair: Honest people who “play by the rules” will reveal when a person is cheating (even themselves) because it’s part of their moral code. This can also be a flaw and it can result in an antagonist winning. They might have a chance to get out of a situation through stealing something that can help, but it goes against their moral code and therefore will result in internal conflict if they take it.
• Outspoken: Some honest people will be outspoken or will seem outspoken if they’re the ones who stand up and give the truth that no one else wants to say.
• Trustworthy: People who are honest can be trusted to tell the truth. This can be both a good and bad trait. They might give away someone’s secret if they feel it’s right to tell the truth about what happened.
• Unbiased: Honest people have the ability to be more unbiased and objective than other people. They can look at both sides of a situation fairly.
• Social Skills: The “tell it like it is” honest type can have trouble with social skills. They might not realize that some things are better left unsaid and therefore will turn others away through their honesty.

For some examples of these characters, look at the TV Tropes page.

There are tons of situations that you can show this and it should be present in more than just a few situations if it’s a major trait of a character. Showing their honesty can happen anywhere at any time, but it’s also dependent on your character and the story itself.