Honestyisregardedasavirtuebymost,ifnotall,oftheworld’sculturesandreligions.Manyofus,ifaskedtoenumeratethequalitiesweseekinafriendorapartner,wouldplacehonestyatthetopofthelist.Inreality,manypeopleseemtothinkthatbeinghonestisforothersandnotforthemselves.However,Ibelievethat,giventhenegativeconsequencesoflyinganddeception,practicinghonestyisinourownbestinterest.
Foronething,beingdishonestcanhaveseriousside-effectsonourmentalhealth.Dishonestpeopleeveniftheyhavenotyetbeen“foundout”,arelikelytocarryguiltandshameinsidethem.Thisisbecause,althoughlyingisanimmoral,mostliarsstillhaveaconsciencedeepdowninside.Foranotherthing,thosewhomisleadsorlietoothersareboundtobecaughtsoonerorlater.Indeed,peoplemaygetawaywithlyingonceorevenseveraltimes.However,theonetimethattheygetcaughtcouldentailgreatloss,orevenspelltheirdownfall.Dependingonthenatureofdeception,havingone’sliescouldmeanlosingone’sjob,beingdesertedbyfriendsandfamily,orevenspendingtimeinjail.
Generallyspeaking,whileitmaybeimpossibletoeliminatethedeceitthatexistsaroundus,eachofuscandecidewhether,andtowhatextent,topracticetruthfulnessourselves.Consideringtheadverseinfluencethatlyingcanhave——includingdestroyingourmentalheathand,ultimately,causingustosuffergreatloss——itisapparentthathonestyisouronlyviableoption.
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