Be Honest to Make Sure There is One Less Rascal
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world.
~~ Thomas Carlyle ~~ (1795 – 1881)
So we are all rascals? Definitely! LOL
Since time immemorial, humans have been trying to impress upon other humans to be honest, truthful and upright but without any success. The one reason why it happens is that those who ask others to follow such ideals themselves fail to follow such ideals. Examples being parents teaching children to be honest and truthful, preachers preaching honesty and integrity, people in positions of power asking others to selflessly work for the organization or the country but themselves not doing the same. It’s like ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ Not going to happen. And we have even come up with fancy names like referring to lies as ‘extending the truth.’ Either it’s the truth or it’s not; what does extending the truth mean?
The second reason is that we soon discover in everyday life that honesty and truthfulness doesn’t pay. We all indulge in dishonesty and tell lies whenever it suits our purpose. It’s just that some of us have become very adept at this ‘art’. :-) And those who become experts in this art reap handsome rewards which becomes an incentive for the rest of us to learn the ropes. LOL
So, yes, ideally you can become honest and reduce the number of rascals in the world by one but it’s not a very practical or profitable proposition.
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