HONESTY

Lesson Point 1: The virtue of honesty

VIDEO 1: Kids with character: Honesty (Check the video section below)

Debrief: What would you do if you found a wallet on the ground? What will you do to return it to the owner? (let the students answer). When this child did, he went to great lengths to get it back to its owner.

• What is honesty? Corruption is everywhere. From the biggest companies and highest government officials to kids playing cricket in a street corner, it is easier to cheat and win rather than to be honest and truthful. So, what is honesty? (let the students answer) You may say that honesty is not telling lies. Well, that is a part of being honest but it goes beyond that. Honesty is being able to keep it real without any masks or pretension. It is honoring truth and integrity above temporary gains that may come through falsehood.

• Cheating and dishonesty are everywhere and even portrayed as inevitable and often desirable in our popular culture. The most popular movies are about robbing and stealing and getting away with it. Not getting caught after doing crimes is seen as smart and attractive. This creates a culture where young people think that it is cool to be dishonest and cheating is fun.

• As a student there are several avenues where your character will be tested in the area of honesty. Here are some examples:

○ Not cheating in tests and exams

○ Telling the truth and not passing the blame when you are caught

○ Playing by the rules of the game and being fair

○ Accepting the mistakes and not giving excuses (progress report!)

○ Obeying rules and not looking for loopholes

• You may think that when everyone else is cheating and you remain honest, you may miss out on success. It is a lie. Being honest is highly rewarding and long lasting. Here are a few rewards for being honest:

○ Honesty builds trust. When people see that you are honest in small things, you will be trusted and given bigger responsibilities.

○ Honesty strengthens our character. When we take a stand for the truth, it gives us boldness to continue in the path of truth regardless of the consequences.

○ Honest people are rewarded by God. God loves those who hold on to the truth and take a stand.

○ Honesty helps you live a ‘nothing-to-add-lifestyle’. You will be the real you always and will never need to hide behind a fake mask.

• Dishonesty is devastating. It can bring temporary rewards but at a costly price. You will lose your credibility and respect before others. With each act of dishonesty, deceit and selfishness will grow within us. Lack of honesty has damaged people’s trust in other people, organizations etc. It eventually destroys the society. If everyone starts living a self-centered life where they themselves are the only people who matter, our society will crumble and mutual trust and dependence will be no more. So, honesty is vital for our very existence.

Lesson Point 2: Honesty into Action

• Honesty needs to be cultivated. Honesty is a virtue that does not come naturally. We are not born honest. You may have observed that even small children below the age of four lie to their parents. They do what is best for them.

• There are two areas where we need to practice honesty - honesty towards others and honesty to ourselves.

○ Honesty with others

§ Be truthful in all your dealings. Do not say something when you mean something else. If you are not able to complete a task, ask for forgiveness and move on rather than telling a lie and giving an excuse.

§ Dishonesty will one day be caught and exposed. It is better to be truthful and admit our faults than hiding the truth. A popular saying goes like this:

You can fool some people for a long time

You can fool all people for some time

But you cannot fool all people all the time.

§ Avoid flattery. People flatter others when they want to get something out of them. We must appreciate and encourage others but flattering is exaggerating things to meet out selfish gains. Speak the truth to your friends and colleagues even if it is painful.

o Honesty with ourselves

§ We must be honest with ourselves. Do not think highly about ourselves more than we actually are. We may be skilled in several areas and better than many others in terms of talents but we must remember to remain humble.

§ Learn to admit weakness and failure. Work on the strengths. Only when we honestly evaluate our lives, we will be able to see both these areas.

§ A sign of an honest person is that he is willing to be corrected. When someone points out a mistake, we must not get angry or irritated. Check if what has been pointed out is true or not and then take corrective actions.

VIDEO 2: IPS officer nabbed for cheating in UPSC exams

Activity: Writing exams honestly

This is a group discussion as a follow up to the video on cheating in UPSC exam. Students will make groups of 3-5 members and come up with answers for the following questions given below. Give two minutes for discussion of each question and then hear the answers from the different groups.

• Give three benefits of cheating in exams!

• What are the long-term effects on the character of someone who regularly cheats in examinations?

Debrief: Examinations are a test of our learning. Imagine if the top entrance examinations were all rigged and those who paid money could get the question paper in advance. What would be state of those who worked really hard? Without honesty the society will crumble. Decide that you will not cheat even if the whole class is doing so. Take a stand.

Lesson Point 3: How to Cultivate honesty?

So, we saw that honesty is a rare yet highly desirable virtue. As students, how can you cultivate this habit? Here are a few practical suggestions:

• Tell the truth even if it will cost you. Be truthful to your parents, teachers and friends. Listen to that small voice within you that warns you each time you are tempted to lie. Be known as someone who speaks the truth.

• Avoid exaggeration. We tend to ‘add masala’ to spice up our stories. When you narrate a story or an incident, stick to the facts. Exaggeration will make you less trustworthy and you will be known as someone who always tells lies. Express your real feelings without anger, without blaming others, without exaggerating, and without hurting the feelings of someone else.

• When you participate in any competition, remember that playing fair is more important than winning. Yes, we do play to win but winning by cheating and using unfair means is not worth it. Be someone who stands for the truth even if it is in small matters like playing a game.

• Be honest with money, especially with the money your parents give you. Do not be tempted to use money that was entrusted you for your own desires. Respect the faith people have put in you and do not squander it.

• Turn in something that is lost and encourage others to do the same.

• When someone wants to copy your work, politely explain that it isn't right and that it's best to do your own work. Do your schoolwork honestly.

• Admit a mistake or error in judgment you have made and apologize to anyone it might have affected.

• Be truthful with your friends and thank them for being truthful with you.

• When you ask someone to be honest with you, don't get angry with them if their honesty isn't what you wanted to hear. Compliment a friend for being honest.

Honesty deserves reward.

Questions to ponder:

Q1. What are some areas where you think you should exhibit honesty?

Q2. What are some ways to be honest toward ourselves?

Q3. Can you think of any instance where you didn’t show honesty in the past? How would have things turned out if you had been honest?