Honesty is the best policy ppsx

Honesty is the best policy
Do you think that “Honesty is the best policy”?

This is an old and often repeated proverb, but it is true? It
has a suspiciously worldly flavor, for it means that from a
worldly point of view it pays to have honesty. Now a man
of complete honesty will not ask whether honesty pays or
not. He feels he must be honest, even if honesty brings
him loss or suffering, simply because it is right to be
honest and wrong to be dishonest. This proverb is
therefore of little use to people of sincere honesty: it is
really meant only for those unprincipled men who will be
honest only if honesty pays, and will be dishonest if they
think honesty will pay them worse.

Probably honesty does pay in the long run. In business,
for example, a man who deals straight forwardly with the
pubic, who sells at fair prices, who gives good quality, and
can be relied upon not to cheat, will generally establish a
reputation that will be a fine business asset. People will be
glad to deal with him; and though he may not make a
fortune he will have a sound and satisfactory business.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that success is often
due to trickery, and great fortunes have been built up upon
dishonesty. Too many successful rogues have proved by
experience that for them dishonesty had been the best
policy. Of course some of these people come to a bad
end, and lose all they have gained by their lies; but many
maintain their worldly success is more due to ability, lucky
opportunities, and business cunning, than to honesty.

And many examples could be given of men who, from a
worldly point of view, have failed because they have
scrupulous honesty. A martyr who prefers to be burned at
the stake rather than say what he believes to be false,
may be a hero; but in the eyes of a worldly man, who
thinks only of worldly success, he is a sad failure.

But if we look at such cases from the spiritual point of view
– if we consider that truth and righteousness are far more
important than wealth and rank and prosperity – then, in
the highest sense, honesty is the best policy in the end.
“For what it shall profit a man if he gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?”