Honesty
Definition of honesty
Honesty is the quality of a person who acts with honesty, fairness and justice . The term “honesty” derives from honored, participle of the verb to honor.
Honesty is about respecting another person and valuing the truth as a fundamental factor in life in society. Likewise, an honest person is one who is governed by moral values, who respects social norms, and who is aware of this, that is, that both his thinking and his actions behave in a fair, upright and integrated manner.
Therefore, a person who acts with honesty will always avoid causing harm to others and will try to act in the best possible way, with truth and honesty.
Aspects of honesty
As such, honesty is considered to be a very valuable quality in a person , as it means that they are someone worthy of trust. Hence, honesty is a vital element in human relationships, and the activities that are based on them, such as life in the community and work. A society that is based on values such as honesty would be more harmonious and fair.
Sincerity (attachment to truth and expression without feeling) is one of the aspects of honesty. If a person considers himself honest and wants to sell his house, he will not lie about his condition. On the other hand, a person in the same situation who is not honest will try to distort reality to his benefit to obtain more money; without taking into account the damages that their lies can cause the buyer.
The tendency towards the transparent and the straight always predominates in the individual with honesty and is even stronger for any need. When a man who does not have a job receives a proposal to acquire easy money (cheating, stealing, etc.), only his honesty causes him to reject the proposal. On the other hand, if the person does not possess this virtue, it is likely that he will take the wrong path and become a criminal.
In a world where image is more important than anything else and its price is paid with money, honesty can be lost little by little on a day-to-day basis. An honest person does not lie or make falsehoods, since a similar attitude would go against their ethical and moral values . But the cases in which ambition and power become a great temptation for the human being and lead him down the path of dishonesty are not typical of today; No matter how much time we travel, we will always find examples of manipulation of the truth, indiscriminate violence, deprivation of the liberty of others.
In spite of everything, there really are people who would never steal, who would never harm another living being or another individual just because; those people who earn our trust, because we understand that they do not have any evil inside them. Why not all be like a species like that?
When we point to the term ” honesty ” and “sincerity” no mention is ever made of nonhuman animals; However, many people who have lived with animals have been able to observe that they too can act from these virtues and others. Perhaps we should learn from these great companions in order to grow as people.
Phrases related to honesty
Various historical authors have bequeathed phrases related to honesty, such as:
- “Precious prey turns honest men into thieves”, William Shakespeare
- “Honesty is incompatible with making a fortune”, Mahatma Gandhi
- “Honesty stops at the door and knocks; bribery comes in ”, Burdett A. Rich
- “It is more difficult to be an honest man for eight days than a hero for a quarter of an hour”, Jules Renard
- “In a word: to look like an honest man, what you need is to be honest”, Nicolas Boileau.
Examples of honesty
- When our principles, thoughts and actions coincide.
- Always tell the truth even if it causes us consequences.
- Don’t cheat.
- Do not carry out work that is against the law.
- Carry out our jobs and obligations in a responsible and transparent mannera