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How 1
Learned
HONESTY
by
Norman
L.
Shoaf
Honesty, it has been said, is the real test of a person's character. But how is
this important human trait acquired?
1
DIDN'T
realize until 1 got
home that t he bank teller
who cashed my check
had given me
$ 150
too
mu
ch.
The next day
J
returned to
the bank and went to the same
teller.
1
explained what had hap–
pened and handed her the mon–
ey.
She stared at me incredulously
and then, in a bewildered
but thankful voice, said,
"Most people would have
just kept i
t."
One day at the grocery
store
r
had to wri te a
check for a few small
items.
1
shou ld have
known better.
" Do you have a check–
cas h ing ca r d for th is
store?" the clerk asked.
1
fumbled for my wallet
and found the card.
" May 1 see your driv–
er's license, please?" 1
produced it.
1
noticed
that a lot of people were
waiting behind me in
line.
"What's your phone
number?"
1
told her.
As the clerk handed
me my receipt, 1 asked
her, "Wouldn't it be nice
if everybody just trusted
each other?"
As she began to ring up
the next customer's gro–
ceries, she answered mat-
June
1984
ter-of- factly, almost absentminded–
ly, " It will never happen."
Never Happen?
"No legacy," wrote Shakespeare,
"is so rich as honesty." If honesty
is richness, t he society in which you
and 1 live is very nearly bankrupt!
Lack of honesty is a major cause
of the multiple evils from which we
as individuals and indeed this whole
world suffer. Consider:
Why can't the superpowers
agree on treaties that would pre–
vent a nuclear World War III ?
Because they don't- can't- and
perhaps don't intend
t~trust
each
other to stand by the words written
in agreements.
Why do interpersonal problems
plague
families-h~sbands
and
wives, parents and children, broth–
ers and sisters? Because in many
cases family members have been
hurt by each other's líes, lack of
openness, untrustworthiness and
hypocriticaJ actions.
People in general lack
faith in tbe promises of
governments, politicians,
advertising, the media–
even religions.
Why?
Because of unkept
promises of the past ,
ridiculous exaggerations,
scandals over dishonesty
and the perception that
everyone is just out to get
something.
Whatever happened to
honesty? Authorities
agree that honesty is a
learned
value-we're
not just born honest or
dishonest. Somewhere
along the line, a large
number of people have
failed to learn hones–
ty- failed to develop
it as a character trait.
~
On the other hand ,
01
sorne
have
learned
ª
it.
~
So how is honesty
~
learned? Where and when
ct
do we get our concepts of
~
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