I’m sure you’re already familiar with the saying that honesty is the best policy. However, what is the true significance of this statement for society? When you hear the word honesty, you may immediately imagine relationships. Most of us understand that honesty must take place in the relationships within our homes, but we don’t acknowledge that honesty is also needed in other areas of society.
The longer I live, the more I understand that honesty is a character trait required for a productive existence in society and for society to continue moving forward. A society without honesty is a society that crumbles.
Today, I will explain the three areas in society that I learned that require honesty and why we should continue to practice it for our own benefit and the greater good. These areas are the economy, the workplace, and our relationships at home.
Why Honesty Is the Foundation of a Healthy Economy
Trust is behind every transaction we make.. Think about the moment you step into an Uber that you ordered. You trust that Uber has done its due diligence when vetting its drivers so that you don’t have to. When you allow your paycheck to be direct deposited at your bank, you trust that your institution is FDIC insured. In countries where banks can’t be trusted, citizens are more likely to hold cash. Communities that mistrust their programs and systems because of historical disservice have every right to. This distrust likely leads to less collaboration within the town square to improve these systems and the economy. Data from a 2014 study by Our World in Data, shows a correlation between the level of trust citizens have in each other and the likelihood of a higher GDP in their country. The decision to trust a business or system must be made quickly, and in the U.S., there are many laws that protect consumers from unethical practices. I’ve realized that because we trust businesses, governments, and communities, we choose to participate in society.
Why Leaders Must Practice Honesty in the Workplace
Businesses need customers to trust them. Employees must trust the business they work for. Most employees would even say they must believe in their company’s mission to choose to continue working long-term. When a business is run unethically, customers often choose a competing business. When you’re running a business, you must strive to be honest with consumers. In early 2017, taxi drivers went on strike in New York City to protest President Trump’s travel ban. This ban created a surge in Uber prices, which caused outrage among Uber customers and led to a campaign to delete the Uber app. Uber learned that the surge during this tough time ruined its customers’ trust, which it then had to repair. Employees must trust their employers. Receiving a paycheck is important, but it is not enough in today’s work economy to retain employees long-term. An employer must be honest about their terms of employment. As an operations manager who has managed teams of over 100 employees, I’ve learned that employees want to feel respected and trust that leadership has their best interests at heart and is honest. Frances X. Frei, a Harvard Business School professor, has spent her career teaching businesses how to build, maintain, and rebuild trust. In her TED Talk How to Build (and Rebuild) Trust, she explained that an employee needs a leader who is authentic, empathetic, and logical to trust them. When those traits falter, employees lose trust in both their leadership and the company.
I’ve made many mistakes in my career that caused me to lose the trust of my team because I wasn’t empathetic toward their needs. I didn’t display trust in them or show respect for their opinions. But as their leader, I chose to rebuild that trust by apologizing for my mistakes and promising to learn from them. This display of honesty led me to be more authentic, more honest, and more trustworthy. Being authentic fosters emotional intimacy and helps build stronger relationships.
Honesty at Home: Where Trust Begins
In 2020, while the world was in the midst of a pandemic, I was going through a divorce. At the time, I didn’t understand why the marriage didn’t work, but upon reflection, I see that it lacked honesty. In the Psychology Today article, “Why Is Honesty So Important in a Relationship?” Lisa Firestone, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and the Director of Research and Education for the Glendon Association, discusses that honesty not only means refraining from lying to your partner, but also examining your own authenticity in a relationship. She suggests asking the following questions:
- Can I be truthful and open with my partner about what I think and feel?
- Am I willing to say everything that’s on my mind when it matters?
- Am I generally comfortable in these conversations?
After reading this article, I realized I would have answered no to all of these questions. Neither of us could be our authentic selves, and we weren’t completely honest with each other for various reasons, which led us to build a relationship without a solid foundation. Today, I can say that my current relationship stands on a better foundation because of the honesty I’ve practiced. Both parties must be honest, or one person will grow resentful, withdraw, and the relationship will deteriorate.
How Honesty Strengthens Your Community and Neighbors
Your neighbors also need to be able to trust you. You may need help from them to watch your home while you’re away. Your neighbors may also be your local dentist, mechanic, or fitness trainer, and they might need your services one day. Being able to collaborate and work with your neighbors improves your local community.
How Honest Parents Shape Honest Children
Children also need to be able to trust their families. A child must trust their parents for food, shelter, and guidance. When a child has honest parents, they are more likely to emulate that trait and become positive contributors to society.
Honesty builds trust, and trust is the foundation of everything we do. Honesty is essential for building a strong society, from our relationships at home to the economy. Many experts have concluded that trust is vital in all our relationships. Without honesty, we lose trust, and without trust, society begins to crumble. As for me, I’ve learned that my role in society is to be honest so that my community can trust me, and I, in turn, can trust it. My community is the economy, my workplace, and my home. And each of those places are deserving of my honesty.
Works Cited
Dredge, Stuart. “Trust Is the Glue of a Healthy Society—Here’s How to Bring It Back.” World Economic Forum, 17 Dec. 2020, www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/trust-is-the-glue-of-a-healthy-society-heres-how-to-bring-it-back/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Covey, Stephen M.R., and Sandra M. Moritz. “Begin with Trust.” Harvard Business Review, May-June 2020, hbr.org/2020/05/begin-with-trust. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Frei, Frances. “How to Build (and Rebuild) Trust.” TED, Apr. 2018, www.ted.com/talks/frances_frei_how_to_build_and_rebuild_trust?subtitle=en. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Ph.D Firestone, Lisa. “Why Is Honesty So Important in Relationships?” Psychology Today, 6 July 2022, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/202207/why-is-honesty-so-important-in-relationship. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.