living
HONESTY
by Crissy Butts Author / Speaker / Team-Buildre
What would society be like if everyone were perfectly honest ?
Synonyms of honesty include … honor , integrity , uprightness of character or action . Honesty implies a refusal to lie , steal , or deceive in any way . Honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one ’ s profession , calling , or position . Integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust , responsibility , or pledge .
“ Honesty is more than not lying . It is truth telling , truth speaking , truth living , and truth loving .” James E . Faust
Honest people love truth and justice . Honest people are truthful in their words and actions . They are dependable and trustworthy . Espionage movie scripts are built on stories of dishonesty and deceit . What would society be like if everyone were perfectly honest ? Can you imagine no crime , happier families , closer knit communities , and governments in greater harmony ?!
To Cheat is Dishonest
We cheat when we give less than we owe or when we get something we do not deserve . Some employees cheat their employers by not giving their full attention on the job , getting on social media , running personal errands and claiming it on their time card , or taking things from work . Some employers are unfair to their employees and pay them less than they should . There are many excuses people make for their dishonesty . Some excuse stealing because they think that they “ deserve ” what they took . Some students cheat to get better grates in school and claim , “ everyone is doing it .” Recently I was picking up some steaks at the request for our son ’ s birthday dinner . I went to the self checkout line and paid for all my
24 iF Magazine | March 2017
groceries . Upon leaving the store , I glanced at my receipt and noticed only 2 of the 3 packages were on the receipt . No one would have ever known if I paid or not , except me . I went back to the checker assistant and asked her to scan the item that inadvertently did not properly ring up , I made the payment and headed for my car . When we are honest it affects how we feel about ourselves , and deep down I think most people know that right is right and wrong is wrong .
What Does it Mean to be Completely Honest ?
To be completely honest is to live with integrity , and not be corrupted , we are true to every duty , agreement , confidence , and trust . We are truthful to others . We are truthful to ourself . An honest person will do what ’ s right regardless of who ’ s around .
“ To be honest is to be real , genuine , authentic , and bona fide . To be dishonest is to be partly feigned , forged , fake , or fictitious . Honesty expresses both self-respect and respect for others . Dishonesty fully respects neither oneself nor others . Honesty imbues lives with openness , reliability , and candor ; it expresses a disposition to live in the light . Dishonesty seeks shade , cover , or concealment . It is a disposition to live partly in the dark .” — William J . Bennett , The Book of Virtues
~ continued on page 26