You might think that it’s a no-brainer that one should live an honest life. But it’s apparent to me that a life of integrity is the exception rather than the rule. How many people do you know who are honest all the time?
We could make a case about the morality and the “rightness” of living honestly. Religious leaders have been advocating this for thousands of years. It’s doubtful that most of them could even provide a true model of integrity. It just hasn’t worked very well.
- Trust
In order to be successful in business or hold a responsible job, a person must have a reputation of honesty. Valuable resources are not entrusted to be people who haven’t proven themselves as trustworthy. - Good Health
I have no research to support this, but I’d be willing to bet that people who tell the truth are healthier. They have less concern, less stress and feel better about themselves. This has to translate into better health. - Pride
I’ve yet to meet a liar who has any real pride in themselves. Any good leadership training will stress the importance and value of having pride in what you do and who you are. If your reputation is grounded in deception, your opinion of yourself is poor indeed. Being honest just plain feels good. - Peace of Mind
If you cheat on your income taxes, you may get away with it, but you’re probably always worried that you’ll get audited and face fines, extra charges and even jail as a result. Your reputation would also be tarnished. When you deal honestly, you have peace of mind. You can not worry and be happy. - Memory
It’s been said that no one has a good enough memory to be a good liar. When you don’t tell the truth you have to INVENT it. When you do, you’ll often be asked to recall your rendition of the truth and you may not be able to do so because you forgot what you said. You KNOW the truth, but you can’t remember your version of it. Very embarrassing. Besides, it’s hard work to continually come up with false stories. - Good Sleep
If you lie—unless you have no conscience at all—you’ll often lose sleep because of your fears of being found out. Your worry and your guilt will keep you awake. A good night’s sleep is one of life’s many pleasures and honest people sleep better. - Confidence
Many people have excellent bull detectors. They know—at least at some level—when you’re being fake. If telling lies is your modus operandi, you know that these people will often see though your façade. There’s no way to have real confidence in oneself when you’re walking on bull excrement. - Good Relationships
Relationships are the jewels of our lives. Some would argue that relationships ARE our lives. And breeches in trust are the death knell of relationships. When trust is gone, there is no foundation upon which to build. Relationships lacking in trust seem hollow and shallow. They lack joy. - Legal Problems
We don’t have to look very far to see the legal trouble people get themselves into from dishonesty. Lying in a court of law or to an officer of the law is literally AGAINST the law. Conversely, if you have no secrets you can rest easy and it’s hard for anyone to blackmail you. - It Doesn’t Work
All too often our deceptions and duplicity are discovered. In the information age in which we live, it’s even more likely that lies will sooner or later be seen for what they are. Dishonesty is just plain inefficient.
The right thing to do is seldom the easy thing to do. But it’s worth it.
“Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attach it. Ignorance may deride it.But in the end, there it is.”—Winston Churchill
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