Honesty

Although a certain amount of deceit will always play a part in human affairs, a basic intent to be truthful, along with an assumption that most people can be taken at their word, is required for any decent society. No civilization can tolerate a constant expectation of dishonest communication without falling apart from a breakdown in trust. Yet, in our time, the fundamental commitment to truthfulness required for social trust has weakened. This essay provides examples from recent educational and political discourse and calls on both the leadership and the public to stop our downhill cycle of deceit by adhering more rigorously to the truth, even when this may seem painful or difficult.