WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE HONEST?

 WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE HONEST?

In plain terms, sticking to honesty is close to clinging on to the wings of an aircraft in flight. Chances are one could drop midway or may have to shut eyes not to see around, lest should be overtaken by uncertainty all around. Staying honest among the less honest/ dishonest is no mean feat, if we consider the plight of the honest as against of the dishonest. Honesty to sustain among humans, calls for extraordinary mindset of refusing temptation / bait in any form. With need for money ever expanding, it is quite ‘demanding’ to steer clear of baits and pitfalls en route.

Staying honest on the face of difficulties of financial nature, requires a ‘conditioned approach’ that outright dispels temptation. There are any number of attractions and distractions that place hurdles that can ‘destabilize’ determination. Compounding the issue further are the immediate kith and kin who are just not bothered of the value of upright character. Often the ‘kith and kin’ back home draw comparisons of the incomparable and slowly ‘drive in’ the doctrine of material comfort by launching a comparison between persons of incomparable righteousness. What is worse, the immediate kin in the family cite the apparent ascension of the neighbor or a relative of theirs, who has made a big fortune in less than 5 years of employment. Such kin are ignorant of the ‘low esteem’ associated with such persons of corrupt practices.

The darker side of the ‘corrupt’

Though  materially affluent, such persons of questionable honesty have to stay submissive to all and sundry in the place of work; they forego any authority officially vested in them , as they lack the moral courage typical of the upright persons. Disarmed by the outcome of dishonest practices, they play second fiddle to any official or colleague in the place of work. They become subservient, being themselves aware of their incompetence or the‘blunted’competence, having surrendered to temptation and appeasement of personnel. Even for legitimate rights in their places of work, such persons cannot be any ‘demanding’. Ironically, they enjoy numerical superiority, as the population of the incompetent keeps rising by the hour.  The reason behind ‘incompetence’ is, the personnel resort to ‘making’ friends with members on different rungs of the ladder at the cost of learning the nuances of work. In a matter of a year or less, they find it lucrative to flout rules to make ‘fast buck’ than to devote time to grasp the provisions of work rules in handling situations of work. At times, they choose to serve private interests to the detriment of work culture.

Thus, persons who abide by norms / provisions of law appear to be hurdles, as they refuse to flout norms. So, the honest person is viewed as a nuisance and ‘not wanted‘ in the present place of work. By a concerted but concealed plan, the honest person[s] receive [s] frequent orders of transfer, as the honest persons are viewed a hindrance or a nuisance. Such honest ones are unwanted in offices and in some households too, as they do not help material ascension.

Staying honest, thus takes a toll of one’s health and is viewed a dead weight among the avaricious [wo] men.

Prof. K. Raman