HONESTY IS INTEGRITY!
OTHERS MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU SAY, BUT THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR ADVANTAGE
Sadly, dishonesty is everywhere… in all cultures, countries, and religions. Lack of honesty is for many different reasons, unfortunately, most dishonesty is for personal gain. The gain is either monetary or per recognition.
There are doctors who not only malpractice but in addition file unjust insurance claims, lawyers who think they have to be dishonest (misrepresent) to win cases, and similarly, there is an overabundant amount of dishonesty in the business world! However, one of the worst forms of dishonesty is with those with that we interact daily.
It appears that we are afraid to speak up or address a particular wrong that we see or are part of ourselves. Who does this help? Not the offender as the negative behavior will continue unless addressed. Often in my writings, I call this Integrity. Integrity is addressing a wrong (or in most cases) doing the right thing… regardless of the outcome. It is not always an easy choice but must be done if we are to make the World a better place for others. It is a daily struggle.
The interesting thing in this is that others might have another perception, another meter to judge on just what is honest and what is dishonest. And sometimes it is not easy to say that they were wrong. A lawyer friend once said to me, “We lawyers are there to bend the truth so that it can fit into the law.” Yes, he was being glib. But, for some people, this is dishonesty, for a lawyer… this might be honest work.
And of course, the most difficult thing to be honest about… is feelings. Why? As humans, we have problems with both telling the truth and accepting it too. Sometimes, we are so close to it… that it’s difficult to see. And then, there is always that personal agenda.
The truth is right and will always be right; there is no reason to be ashamed or afraid of the truth.
