HONESTY - Is Such a Lonely Word

Back in 1978 Billy Joel, an American pianist and composer originally from the Bronx, released the song 'HONESTY'. He is probably better know for his song  Piano Man. However, given what is going on in Canadian politics and elsewhere these days, I think his song "Honesty" is rather appropriate right now.

I was sitting in the den at home watching the news the other day and thought to myself 'who to believe?'  There seems to be a lot of dishonesty on the part of some rail services as they ship more and more crude oil across our country and try to convince us they are doing the right thing. The same could be said of the oil sands in Alberta or the use of buried and potentially rusted old pipe lines! And then there are the spy agencies having the gall to tap into Angela Merkel's cell phone. Of course they never thought they would be found out! No wonder she was angry! What about the PMO in Ottawa and all those Senators locked up in their ornate bastion on capital hill? Who is telling us the truth ? Perhaps they no longer know themselves what is true and what is false! To say nothing of the Mayor of the once great city of Toronto. McLean's Magazine calls all this the politics of anger. How about the politics of equivocation!

Honesty - where are you hiding these days?

It has been said: 'to say of what is, that it is not, or what is not, that it is, is false. To say what is, that is, and what is not, that it is not, is true'. Aristotle I believe. It is a tongue twister, but if you take your time it makes sense.  Simplified in Latin 'Adaequatio Intellectus cum Rei' or adequation of the intellect to the thing. Simple and clear. How about, "What you see is what you get."

Perhaps politicians and people in authority acted this way for years, but now that we have so many  devices to follow the dialogue as it occurs, the untruths, exaggerations and cover-ups are more noticeable. Doesn't integrity and sincerity have a place in our lives any more?

This octogenarian learned many, many years ago that if you tell a lie you can never keep the story straight. Tell the truth, despite the consequences, and the story remains the same. Other honest people are always ready to forgive. Or perhaps I have just been lucky.

There are times when we should not be too hasty with our honesty. For example: you get really mad at someone. Your immediate reaction, the honest one at that point, is to drop a hurtful and destructive word bomb.  Rather than reacting  to your honest raw emotions and relieving your anger, simply back off.  Put the truth on hold while you reconsider the harm you might do, why you are so angry, and why it is important to you to defuse your emotions first. Once you have done that then you can engage in meaningful dialogue. In other words, turn the occasion into an opportunity to enrich the friendship.

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week