Throughout our lives, we’ve heard the famous phrase – Honesty is the best policy.
Do you know the word policy, politics, and police all derive their name from the same root? The Greek “polis” means “city,” and, the Latin derivative “politia” meant “civil administration. And yet, do these professions follow the best policy – that being honesty?
Leave alone them – What about the common man? Does honesty have a place in today’s society? Everywhere, dishonesty has crept into society like a moral virus, destroying the best men and their morals as it spreads. Everyone has a price, or some limit they say. And those that do not, are side-tracked for their honesty.
Today, business leaders are manipulating their company accounts, causing billions of dollars of losses. I read an interesting article on WorldCom in the latest Fortune magazine – about how Bernie Ebbers, CEO of WorldCom along with his team would manipulate their results showing above market results, while yet keeping the phone rates to the customers low. This would confound their competitors, who would then reduce their rates to compete, and in the process lay off thousands of people so that they could try and keep up on the profits. When the WorldCom bubble burst, all these companies went bust too, and so too did the suppliers. And what about the thousands of jobs lost… It created a domino effect affecting nations altogether.
All for what? A little bit of an ego rub, couple of dollars more which you’ll never get to see, and a lifetime in jail? Is it all worth it to be known as a fraud, a liar?
Good question – It seems to be worth it, because society doesn’t care anymore. As long as you’re flying high, society doesn’t care if you’ve swindled your shareholders or your suppliers etc. As long as you can afford your lifestyle, they don’t worry about it. They’d still attend your parties and chat with you like nothing’s happened.
Therefore, not only have people become corrupt – but its society’s blind eye to dishonesty and corruption that have made it alright.
And this is not just in business. Between partners having affairs, children cheating – copying off the internet to get better grades.. In the process of excelling (read – Impressing people who they feel matter), we are losing fundamental ethics that could keep us grounded.
And in the process, as a society- while we are getting richer and richer, our moral fabric is deteriorating further and further. This will continue until we won’t be able to answer our children when they question us about our ethics.
I write this because I see my parents as mastheads for ethics – For goodness, honesty, kindness and understanding. And its because of them that I’m able to keep some semblance of honesty. But all around I see dishonesty taking over society. What about the millions of other parents – just normal people who have been corrupted, who are dishonest. What about their children and their children after that..
We are the examples that people look towards. I’m not one to say – Look at me – a shining beacon of light. I’m saying we’re all human. And to err is human. However, making a habit of erring is not human. It is inhuman and a pathway to a corrosive society. Lets start by changing – and trying to be better people – with ethics, with honesty, with kindness, with understanding.
It is when we give importance to these fundamental ethics that we will lose our mad attachment to the materialistic – to money! And that is when the world will see a new Rennaisance. A time where its not money and success that matters – But people, ethics, culture, art, literature and all the other things that come with it. That will make us flourish as a civilization again. Not one out to destroy itself.