Honesty is a moral virtue that different cultures and tenets of religions hold very high. Today, dishonesty is evident in all strata of life. People cut corners on all fronts. Those who lead do not set good examples for the youth to emulate. It is unimaginable that parents escort their children to examination centres to compromise the integrity of examinations. The civil service stinks of corruption; market women use wrong measures for their wares, petrol stations tamper with their dispensing machines to defraud buyers, and the police take bribes with disregard for whoever is watching. These unwholesome acts continue with impunity and they transcend our social fabric.
The society is materialistic and it only celebrates those with money irrespective of the source but looks down on people with little and honest means. Clergies of the various religious bodies now give recognition to wealthy people, regardless of how they made their money.
Examples of dishonesty are not in short supply. It ranges from taking things that do not belong to you; telling lies, trying to take undue advantage of things due to others; grade falsification; cheating in examinations, bribery, and cyber crimes, and the list is endless.
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Why Engage In Dishonest Acts
People engage in dishonesty for various reasons. Students who did not prepare adequately for their examination are most likely to cheat in the examination hall. People resort to telling lies to avoid unpleasant situations and to get acceptance from pairs or society. The desire to place importance on a position you do not want to give up could also be responsible.
Perhaps you might feel that the harsh economic challenges have forced dishonest individuals to do the acts; note that it is in the face of some staggering circumstances that the real value of an honest man is revealed. A student that delights in cheating during exams is inadvertently destroying himself because he may never learn to study for examinations.
The desire to gain undeserved material benefits, which they have to suffer for in the long run is one reason people resort to cheating. Remember the saying: “Bread gained by falsehood is pleasurable to man, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.”
Dishonesty is self-defeating.
When you assume that you can never attain the enviable height that you desire honestly, then you resort to dishonest means.
A typical example is the story of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria who never attended a University but claimed to have graduated from the University of Toronto. When his dishonesty was discovered, all the respect and honour was gone. He was removed from office after a judicial indictment and the damage to his personality remains with him forever.
“Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses” – Tracy Morgan.
In another instance, a girl doctored her jamb examination result to reflect as having the highest score so that she could get the monetary reward attached to being the best candidate for the year. By the time it blew open to be a fraud, it became the headline of major print and electronic news media. Her name is more prominent than that of the real highest scorer of the same examination. Now the girl has to live with the shame brought about by this dishonest act.
Why You Should Be Honest
When you choose to do the right thing at all times, you will have peace of mind. You will not be scared of an ordinary knock on your door, but someone involved in cyber crimes will run for hiding at the sight of a law-enforcing agent. The key to peace of mind is a clean conscience.
An honest person is courageous and ready to say no to the temptations of being lured to defrauding people.
The integrity of an honest person is always intact and this comes with rewarding responsibilities that come with respect.
How to maintain your integrity
In an environment where the youth cannot discern between good and bad, a person of integrity should be ready to out because being honest may not give you many friends, but it will give you the right ones.
Determine your priorities. Avoid biting more than you can chew. Anticipate situations capable of challenging your honesty and put measures to mitigate them.
Make your position known at the beginning of any business deal and tactfully assert your position; not ready to break laws or cut corners.
When confronted with an integrity challenge, seek support from people who share your values.
When you are dishonest, you will always look for other dishonest means to cover up and which will further complicate things at the end just like Pinokio.
