Honesty
Never falter in your adherence to the principals of honor and honesty. All that is required is one slip of character, one moment of unfaithfulness, or one simple lie to destroy a man’s reputation. Sugar cubes dissolve instantly in boiling water. So will your reputation if you are caught fabricating the truth. What took years to create will not only vanish in an instant, but will become nearly impossible to rebuild. Consider the man who is sent to prison for a crime. That moment of complete lack of judgment will follow him for a very long time.
21 comments:
Honesty is one of the things I am most passionate about. No good can come from being dishonest.
Telling the truth is the best way. When I was little my mother ALWAYS caught me out...always...(Goodness knows what happens to my face if I try lying) so I suppose I know it's just not going to work. Sometimes, though a little white lie can't hurt - if it means it's going to protect someone. What do you think?
My dear mother always said without honesty life is one big sham. Above all to thine own self be true , until then one can't be honest with others,
Great H post Diane,
Yvonne.
This is what I'm trying to teach my kids. Since I'm a lousy liar, honesty is my only friend.
It must be exhausting lying all the time. Can you imagine trying to keep all your lies straight? You'd need a spread sheet. lol
Love the analogy about the sugar. I try hard to reinfoce this with my students all the time! :)
Honesty is of major importance.
I do not like being lied to. Lies instantly erode trust.
Susan, I think that falls under being tactful, too. I could never lie to my mother unless I had it planned out in advance. I wasn't good at on the spot lies.
Stina, I had a friend that was a compulsive liar and I don't know how she kept up with it.
Thank you, Karen.
It's so true. You catch someone in one falsehood and you never quite trust them again.
Honesty is so important for me. I can usually tell when someone is lying to me and so it's really irritating and I lose a little respect for them.
Honesty and trust! Two key ingredients for writing and life.
Once it's gone, it's gone.
You touched on it, but I'll expound -- before honesty comes good judgment.
People lie to protect poor judgments. There is little other reason to lie.
So, typically, liars exercise poor judgment, and protect themselves from the consequences by manufacturing a truth, whereby they appear to have good judgment.
Those who employ good judgment and forethought rarely have reason to lie.
- Eric
Man, it's so true, isn't it. Especially those of us who trade in words--it is so hard to be believed again when you show your word isn't true. In the sciences, we have heard cases of people fabricating data and even if it is just once, all the YEARS of work fall down the tube.
Excellent point, Diane. Professional and personal honesty is a foreign concept to many these days. Like you said, all that hard work down the drain for just a moment of poor judgement.
For writers? A case in point. Janet Dailey (was in the news back when). I loved her books. But when she was under pressure for a book deadline, made one mistake of judgement. She copied, if not exactly, very close to word for word of parts of another author's book. She lost her contract, lost her good name, and as far as I know never got another contract. It's sad, because she was a very good storyteller.
Is the risk worth it? I don't think so.
Sia McKye OVER COFFEE
I was taught that "honesty is your best policy". I strive to be as honest as I can with everyone.
The sugar image was a good one.
~Naila Moon
http://yaknowstuff.blogspot.com/2012/04/h.html
Eric, yet another level!
Hart, that is such a waste.
Sia, that's terrible she would risk everything like that.
Honesty and integrity are the groundwork of success . . . thanks for that great post!
Well said. The trust is lost.
My wife teaches are kids about the trust cup...about how its filled up over time and can be emptied with one silly lie!
Honesty is paramount! :)
So true!
Honesty is so important and any slip, however minor, can undo a lifetime's work.
Jai
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