Honesty is a core value, a virtue, and a character trait to live by daily. Honest is being truthful in what I say and do. The opposite is dishonesty. That’s straightforward and easy to understand but not always easy to do. Why can’t we be honest?

Honesty is about choices and decisions, and what causes us not to be honest is connected to the “Social Anxiety” we all feel. Social Anxiety is the tension or friction we experience between wanting to succeed and not wanting to fail. It’s real in our minds, and it can mess with us. No one wants to fail, and everyone wants to succeed. So, to protect our self-interest, we hedge our bets, cover our tracks, bend the truth, leave out the sticky parts, and put a good spin on it. In essence, we are not completely honest.

I’ve done this, and I am not proud of it, and if you are honest, you’ve done it, too. I believe the root of our dishonesty is a spiritual issue driven by fear. We are convinced that we need to control what is happening. We have to produce, protect, make the sell, look good, be the smartest, have the best, be the best, and win at all costs. So, we sacrifice our honesty on the altar of immediacy. This seems right at the moment, but the truth is we have deceived ourselves and others. Moreover, greater damage occurs because dishonesty breaks trust, but there is hope. Being truthful in what we say and do builds trust.

The longer we continue down the path of dishonesty, the deeper the hole becomes, and the harder it is to get out. We are trapped and tormented, but the quicker we “fess up,” the sooner we can start over. Admitting and confessing can be scary, but grabbing the rope of truth and starting the climb can bring hope. Especially if the person I am confessing to is willing to hear my confession and forgive me. This whole process is liberating and encouraging, but there is still work to do. Now, you must put off the old and put on the new. You can become a truth-teller. When you practice this time-tested process, it builds character. Character is the inward values that determine outward actions, the foundation used for making decisions, the moral compass that guides your choices, and who you are when no one else is watching.

At Doing Good at Work, we provide character education through a tool called Character Worx. We care about others and understand the importance of helping people develop strong personal character. What character traits do people see in and through you? How are you helping others develop their personal character? Click HERE to start the conversation.

REMEMBER: Better People make Better Businesses, and Better Businesses make a Better World.

Encouraging Others Everywhere,

Boomer

Dr. Boomer Brown, Ph.D., is the CEO of Doing Good at Work, a 501(c) 3 organization that operates with the efficiency of a business. Our mission is to ‘Make People Better’ because we firmly believe that better people make better businesses, and better businesses make a better world. Learn more about our work and how you can be part of this transformative journey: https://doinggoodatwork.com/