William Atkins
Tuesday, 29 December 2009 01:58
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 4
With people all over the world making New Year’s resolutions for 2010, what could make more sense that to make a resolution to make one's self more honest? Whether in the past, the present, or the future, Honesty is (still) the Best Policy!
Any society in the world will succeed or fail based on its people. And, the individual is still the strongest member of any group.
Whether it is honesty in the fields of science, politics and government, religion, sports, business, or in our own personal lives, it is equally important.
And, society's ability to remain strong resides in the characteristic of honesty.
For without honesty, there are no rules to abide by, and nothing to guide its citizens on the appropriate actions that benefit both the individual and the group (any group) as a whole.
Maybe it’s just that a cynical media looks to the dramatic story--one that will make it a lot of money and generate much interest and gossip--but it seems that news stories about dishonesty, unethical practices, and other wrongful things are much more common than ones about honesty and ethics. Just check the local, regional, national, or international news on any day of the week.
Or, are we just imagining this scenario?
Can we decide on honesty? Are we an ethical society or an unethical one? Are we honest individuals or dishonest ones? Should we look back on ourselves periodically for reflection? Should we?
No doubt, any society must contend with both sides of the honest/dishonesty picture. Honest people make laws to control the actions of dishonest people. In most circumstances these laws help to assure the health and safety of its citizens.
However, those laws, to be effective, must be carried out on a consistent basis in order to preserve a law abiding society.
It is also difficult to define the word “honest.” Is a person only honest if one is totally (100%) honest? If you tell a “white lie” are you considered a dishonest person?
Page two continues with a New Year's resolution that honestly can help our world.
