Honesty A Difficult Path To Walk

Honesty: A difficult path to walk
Being honest is the perpetual fight between mind and soul. Inner self forbids doing what is not good, the mind looks into the practical aspect of life. In most cases, the mind wins. Perhaps present-day materialistic life justifies such issues.

HONESTY IS defined as a state or quality of being honest (free from fraud, upright, just, sincere, candid, virtuous) integrity, candor, truth. While describing someone or ourselves as honest we forget that it is rather impossible to be truly honest.

One of my friends, a chartered accountant, once told me that he keeps some cash in the open drawers or in the kitchen self which is not only handy while paying certain bills or asking the servant to get something from the market but also for testing the integrity of the servant. It may be difficult for a person to break open a locker but it will be quite easy for him to pinch some money or jewelry lying unguarded. Honest people do not take advantage of situations whatever may be the gains.

The issue is the perpetual fight between mind and soul. Inner self forbids doing what is not good, the mind looks into the practical aspect of life. In most cases, the mind wins. Perhaps present-day materialistic life justifies such issues. Maybe these are not the issues at all.

Let us start from the beginning of our adulthood as childhood can be spared for reasons of lack of experience or understanding of various aspects of an honest life. Grabbing out of turn or unjustified benefits be it not standing in the queue or backdoor entries for our personal or official gains, being part of some fraud, reaching office late or leaving early on false pretexts, remaining politically correct in the face of injustice to a fellow worker, pinching office stationery, submitting inflated tour bills, accepting or expecting gifts from suppliers, bribing the system for speeding up our official work in order to gain a few points of performance awards. There can be hundreds of examples of our working life when we did not really look honest.

Outside our working life, the situation is no better. We do not follow the traffic rules, do not pay our taxes, and become a part of the corrupt system. The glaring example is the avoidance of stamp duty by undervaluing the property purchased. It is well known that the builders ask for 50 percent cash. Many a time receipt is not taken for purchases to avoid sales tax. Every time the excuse is ‘others too are doing it and if we do not fall in line we will not survive’.

Is it that remaining honest in present-day society really impossible? Should we, therefore, change the definition of honesty? Should bribery be legalized? Should some premium be charged legally on out-of-turn allotment of tickets, passports, and many other such things in the same way as a tatkal railway ticket or passport or cooking gas connection?

Is it rather true that we are dishonest because we are human? I do not think animals have the concept of honesty. They have only one rule, might is right. Since physical might be able to have started street violence we invented financial or intellectual might to score over others. With the process of time, people with financial or intellectual might got their tools sharpened and became more and more successful.

It looks honesty is for preaching to others and not for self-practice. It seems true because in spite of centuries of preaching society is struggling with fraud, untruths, and injustice. It is something like a notice board in front of a juice center proclaiming ‘drinking strictly prohibited but you can find people mixing their drinks with the juice supplied by the center-right in front of the shop and enjoy in the full glare of all standing around. The notice board is more of an invitation to buy juice to mix with drinks. By describing what is considered dishonest and staying away from such practices, the opposite seems to be happening. People are learning more tricks to be smart.

 

Dear Viswa,
As usual, your words inspire.
"the quality of life faced by Rama, Lakshmana and Pandava are not desirable for a normal human-beings'
This is the whole issue. At the end of the tunnel who expects another tunnel? The subjects
irks my conscience every time someone talks of absolute honesty. Day in and day out we live a compromised life and talk of honesty and truth. As Geeta says, even Devatas live a mixed life-satvik, rajasik and tamasik. I guess we are not made for living only one life. I always say Satyug, Treta Yug, Dwaparyug and Kaliyug is all here today, this very moment. So what crib? Live a life you think is good for you. That seems to be the only solution. Half of world's problems are because of our penetrating eyes finding faults with others.

 

Brave and frank acknowledgment. It's the story of all.

 

Psychology must be playing a big role in the inner and outer world. In my opinion, tact and diplomacy play a big role in our life. No one teaches, how to behave in a particular situation and situations differ depending on places and circumstances. We learn them by observation and experience. There are some ground rules but using them will solely depend on the person, place, and circumstance.
As far MIL< SIL< DIL issues are concerned they have many dimensions involving members of the family emotionally and practically.

 

There is a big row going on presently in Ukraine v/s Russia. It is worth listening to what they say and what they mean. Everyone wants a peaceful resolution but no one wants to budge an inch. Other countries like India are advocating peace.
The point is all of them are honest to their goal and so can be termed as honest depending on which side of the fence one is sitting on.
These are big issues and dishonesty, lies, extortion, torture etc are treated as good in the interest of the countries involved and stakes are high.
I am more concerned about common people and circumstances where staying honest and truthful is possible if one chooses to be.