National Honesty Day
“Honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue…” Billy Joel had it right. It seems that in today's world, honesty is as rare as a unicorn sighting. From politicians to business leaders, to our own friends and family members, the complete lack of honesty in our society is maddening. In honor of National Honesty Day, let’s examine how lies surround you on a daily basis.
Let's start with politicians. They are notorious for saying one thing and doing another. They'll promise the moon and stars during their campaign speeches, but when it comes time to deliver, they conveniently forget their promises. How many times have we heard a politician claim that they will cut taxes or increase funding for education, only to do the complete opposite once they're in office? It's like watching a magician perform a magic trick - you know it's fake, but you can't help but be amazed by the sleight of hand. In some cases, like for instance, the current Biden administration, the lying is so flat out obvious that it’s laughable. Every time Joe Biden opens his mouth he is lying.
But politicians aren't the only ones who lack honesty. Business leaders are also guilty of this crime. They'll claim that their products are the best on the market, when in reality, they're just trying to make a quick buck. Remember the Enron scandal? The executives at Enron lied to their investors about the company's financial health, causing thousands of people to lose their jobs and their life savings. And let's not forget about the recent scandal involving the pharmaceutical company that lied about the effectiveness of their pain medication, causing countless people to become addicted and even die. These companies care more about their profits than the well-being of their customers, and it's sickening.
But it's not just politicians and business leaders who lack honesty. Our own friends and family members can be just as guilty. How many times have you asked someone how they're doing, only to receive the generic response of "I'm fine"? It's like we're all living in a world of robots who are programmed to say the same thing over and over again. In fact, that is the biggest and most frequent lie told every day. And don't even get me started on social media. People post carefully curated and filtered pictures and status updates, creating a false image of their lives. It's like we're all competing to see who can create the most perfect, Insta-worthy life.
So, what's the solution? How can we bring honesty back into the world? The truth is, there is no easy answer. It starts with each and every one of us. We need to be honest with ourselves and with others. We need to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and words. We need to demand honesty from our leaders and the companies we do business with. We need to stop settling for lies and half-truths and demand the truth.
But let's be honest, that's easier said than done. It's much easier to live in a world where we can pretend everything is perfect and we're all happy all the time. It's much easier to believe the lies that we're told than to seek out the truth. But the cost of living in this world of lies is too high. It's time for us to wake up and demand honesty, not just from others, but from ourselves as well.
Try to go through one day with being completely truthful - today is the perfect day to try it. Be honest. With yourself and those around you. And yes, little white lies are still lies. Can you do it?
