If we found a wallet lying in the subway, how many of us will be honest enough to had it over to the police to find its right place? I am sure most us would do what pleases one. I was buying a cheap leather wrist band from a petty vendor. After finishing my transaction I walked away but I heard a loud call from someone behind. I saw the same vendor following me with loud shouts, I was taken aback thinking I might have not paid him enough. To my surprise he handed me the $100 bill and said Sir, 'it costs only $5 but you have given $100'. It was my fault for not clarifying the bills of different denominations. I stood dumbfounded for I had not seen such an honest person in my life. I told him spur of the moment, you are the best business man I have ever seen. And he told me, 'Sir, I know most tourist have money but there might some who come to Barbados with limited money, it is my duty and more importantly to respect other human person to be honest'. One of friends told me that he found £20 bills along the foot path he was treading. He was not sure as to what he should do this money for there wasn't any sign of anyone looking for it. He went straight to the police station to hand over the money. As he was handing it over, some said with faint voice, thanks a lot. The faint voice was of a poor milk man who would deliver milk door to door and collect the money on behalf of the milk firm.
How many of us will be honest enough to give away things which don't belong to us? It is very hard question to answer. We might answer it positively or negatively depending on the circumstances. I am sure most of us have had several experiences of honesty by someone or ourselves. It is absolutely necessary to be honest because we might deprive our fellow humans of some significant need. St. Ambrose says, 'It is the hungry man's bread that you withhold, the naked man's cloak that you store away, the money that you bury in the earth is the price of the poor man's ransom and freedom'. It is quite natural for a human being to have a tendency to amass things even if one does not need it. It is necessary first of all to have our needs met, then the needs of the society can be catered to. Human beings are complex social and rational animals. Their reason might vary according to the situation in other words we might fit our reason to circumstances. We might not adhere to the universal reason of that particular circumstance we are in. In the same way the social aspect might vary according to the whims and fancies of an individual. Therefore honesty in human beings might vary in accordance with reason. It can be detrimental to replace humanity with reason. Thus resulting in individualistic ideologies which might govern oneself and the world.
We are aware of the scams that are prevalent in the world today. Scams of different natures, cyber scam, money laundering, corruption etc. These scams emanate from lack of honesty and transparency. We as humans fail to see others as our brothers and sisters thus creating a void between honest and dishonest people. Dishonesty will be triumph but not for very long time. It is very evident when dishonesty is ruling the roost we see some people suffer because as St. Ambrose said, we actually grab from the lowly.
I think honesty is innate and integral part of human nature but it is practised in so many ways. Honesty is a lovely virtue that all human should acquire.
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