What is honesty?

What Does honesty Mean

Honesty is uprightness of mind and integrity in action . Whoever is honest is shown as a righteous and just person , who is guided by what is considered correct and appropriate on a social level. For example: “My grandfather taught me that honesty is the most important thing when it comes to business” , “The manager was fired for being dishonest” , “I found a briefcase with money and important documents in a taxi and did everything as much as possible to contact its owner: my honesty did not allow me to doubt for a second ” .

The sincerity (attachment to truth and expression without pretense) is one component of honesty. The honest person does not lie or make falsehoods, since such an attitude would go against their moral values. If a subject is honest and wants to sell his car, he will recognize the defects of the vehicle and will not lie about its mileage. On the other hand, a person in the same situation who is not honest will try to distort reality to get more money, regardless of the damage that his lies could cause the buyer.

The tendency towards the straight and the transparent always prevails in the honest individual and is even stronger than any need. When a man who does not have a job receives an illicit proposal to access easy money (stealing, swindling , etc.), only his honesty makes him resist the temptation and refuse to accept. On the other hand, if the subject lacks this virtue, it is likely that they will end up choosing the wrong path and become a criminal.
Many authors and famous people in history have bequeathed phrases related to honesty; Let's look at some examples below: " Honesty is incompatible with making a fortune ", Mahatma Gandhi; " Precious prey turn honest men into thieves ", William Shakespeare; « It is more difficult to be an honest man for eight days than a hero for a quarter of an hour» , Jules Renard; « Honesty stops at the door and knocks; bribery enters «, Burdett A. Rich; " In a word: to look like an honest man, what you need is to be honest ", Nicolas Boileau.
In a world where image is so important and its price is paid in money , honesty is not usually very present in the day-to-day life of our species. But the cases in which power and ambition seduce the human being and lead him down the path of dishonesty are not typical of today; no matter how far we travel in time, we will always find examples of manipulation of the truth, deprivation of the liberty of others and indiscriminate violence in pursuit of an end that, for those who persecuted it, justified the means.

But in what way should a person be raised to become an honest being? Is it enough with the teachings you receive during your first years of life, with the examples from your elders? There really are individuals who would never steal, who would never harm another living being just for the sake of it; those people in whom one trusts blindly, because he knows that they are transparent , that they do not house evil inside. Why aren't we all like this?
When looking at the definition of a term such as honesty, honesty, or sincerity, nonhuman animals are never mentioned; However, many people who live or have lived with dogs, for example, tell countless stories that contain true examples of all these and more virtues, and never deal with abuse, exploitation or fraud. Perhaps we should pay more attention to our planetmates to learn valuable lessons in honesty and compassion, which our curriculum sorely needs.

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