Six rules about trust

Wife was talking to husband, and wife was obviously suspicious. This is why wife said, “I don’t mind your little half-truths, but you keep telling me the wrong half.”

A member of the Senate, known for his hot temper and acid tongue, explodes one day in mid-session and begins to shout, “Half of this Senate is made up of cowards, liars and corrupt politicians!”

All the other Senators asserted that the angry member withdraw his statement or be removed from the remainder of the session. After a long pause, the angry member conceded. “Ok,” he said, “I withdraw what I said. Half of this Senate is NOT made up of cowards, liars and corrupt politicians!”

Why is lying and deception so much a norm in the world we live in today?

Don’t we still get it?

That all the lying and deception of our politicians, police, corporate executives, clergy, journalists, accountants, and educators are costing every major social institution. A handful of people I know try their best to be honest and trustworthy all the time, but the battle is an uphill climb.

What lies behind the lying and the deception are two fundamental presumptions:

1. The end justifies the means and in most cases, the end justifies the mean-ness.

2. The second presumption is that no one would know and in this point a little bit of theology would help. People who lie and deceive all the time fail to understand that there will always be at least One who would know and The One who knows would bring the liar to accountability one day.

Michael Josephson says that there are six truths about trust that must be understood and dealt with:

First, there is no shortcut to building trust. Rebuilding it on the rubble of lost credibility is much harder. The antidote is nothing less than scrupulous and consistent honesty, especially when the truth is costly.

Second, where trust is important, there are no small lies. Falsehoods, however small they seem, are like germs. Without the antibody of trust, they cause infections that can kill credibility.

Third, the lethal quality of lies lasts long after they’re told. Lies told years ago have an immediate poisonous effect on trust when they’re discovered. Think of all the prominent people who’ve been undone by the discovery of trumped-up old resumes.

Fourth, while honesty and forthrightness don’t always pay, dishonesty and concealment always cost. It’s true that in some settings nothing good may come out of admitting wrongdoing. But it gets a lot worse when you don’t.

Fifth, lies breed other lies. It’s harder to tell just one lie than to have just one potato chip. Once you start deceiving, it takes more and more bodyguards of new lies to protect the old ones.

Finally, don’t be seduced by the “I’m just fighting fire with fire” excuse, or all you’ll end up with is the ashes of your integrity. Self-justifications aside, you can’t lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar or a cheater.

Michael Josephson hits just the right spot with this reminder that you can find in his website: /”www.charactercounts.org.

Some people have made lying their lifestyle such that the moment they admit they are lying, people don’t even want to believe them.

Truth liberates, but in our world, so many people live still imprisoned. But Scriptures say, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

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