FRUIT OF A HONESTY

          We all may agree and acknowledge that honesty is something that is getting harder and more expensive to find these days. Which is sadder, those who should be an role model of honesty would involve in dishonest actions. So before the situation gets worse, the courage to be assertive is urgently  needed to combat dishonesty. This is shown by government of Bihar, India.

Some time ago, the government of Bihar city stated that approximately  1.600 students have been expelled from school after being caught cheating during high school final exams. The students cheat with answer from small books or records. Even in some cases, this action is also assisted by their parents. The parents who participated in supervising exams often throw the answer to their son, or leave the answer to someone else. Understandably, cheating seems to have become a habit in the Bihar city.

          The Ministry of Education in Bihar city then decided to act decisively by expelling the students who get caught cheating. They expelled just follow the exam three years later. While the parents who were caught helping their sons were fined up to 2.000 rupees or imprisonment of six months. Is it too cruel punishment? Obviously not. The Departement of Education does not only want to stop the habit of cheating, but also want to change the future of Bihar population. As you know, Bihar is the poorest state in the Indian with literacy rate reached 36 %. When people of Bihar want to have a better future, then all the bad habits must be stopped from then on. Cheating habit is a proof that they are not honest people. 

          Awareness for not fraud as cheating during exams, is actually one small example of the honesty quality existing in a person. However, if a person can not be honest in small things, is there any guarantees that he will be able to be honest in the larger cases? Obviously not,  “Those who can be trusted in small things, could be also trusted in big things : But those who cannot be trusted in small things, cannot also be trusted in big things”.

          Sometimes we think that honesty is simply a willingness to talk as it is. Say yes if yes, and say no if not. Such understanding is not wrong. However, it should be realized that honesty  is not only related to what we say, but also with what we do. When our speaking and actions can in line with honesty, it is what to say as positive self integrity.The problem is, the courage to be honest in our words and actions is not as easy as turning the palm of the hand. But it will never be too difficult if we continue considering the big impact that will never receive later.

          Once there was an old beggar named Billy Ray Harris. That day he was begging and a woman give him an alms. Sometime after the woman went, Harris casually lifted the can used to collect alms to calculate it. Unexpectedly, in addition to coins turned out to be a diamond ring inside.

Meanwhile the woman named Sarah darling, panicked when she discovered her ring missing. He hurried back to the place of the beggar earlier, but did not find him anymore. The next day he went back over there again and this time she met Harris. She asked if Harris found a valuable item. Honestly, Billy said, “Yes, I purposely kept it and will left it to you when you come back here”.

           The honesty of Billy touched her and her husband,s heart. The couple organized the online help with writing a story of honesty from a beggar who would return a diamond ring to its owner. Within 30 days they had collected donation as amount of US$ 0383 (about Rp1.2 billion). Harris was very surprised awarded prize  as many as that. Because according to him, what he did should be rightly done as a human. It,s not something uncommon. However, the appreciation was also cofirming also how the honesty is missed by every insane. Presumably, this story is so inspiring for us to always be honest. Not only the people from the lower classes, but also the government officials. Honesty is a shied for those who do that.

CAPITAL OF HONESTY

          Several years ago my wife opened a kiosk for selling groceries and household furniture in our city. The kiosk is located just next to a shop who sell the same goods. At first I was hesistant, that they will not be sold because of competition from the store beside. Moreover, the show owner who became his neighbor was selling there more than ten years. Surprisingly, after some time slowly neighboring shop customers chose to shop at my wife,s kiosk. Did my wife use the loss leader? Absolutely not. He was just trying to trade honestly. That is her commitment from the beginning. Always tell the actual quality to the buyer, and not manipulate the price and cheat the scale. Even sometimes he asked his customers to re-check purchase orders, re-weigh at home and make a claim if there is cheating. This not done by the merchant at the store next door. 

          I have met with many economists and I read books on the theme of success in business. There, I learned how to recognize market,  promoted products, solicited customers, win the trade competition and many others. It should be recognized  that all of these theories are good. The proof all their books are always in demand. Unfortunately, almost all economists whose books have ever been read by me instead less focus on important terms in running a business, namely honesty. It sounded trivial, but who want to do business with dishonest people. So do not be surprised if there are traders or businessman who are not honest then left by the service users or customers.

           If we want to be honest in business, then our business will be imperishable. Then we should think now about how we run the business over the years. Have we become an honest busineesman, or perhaps even become a treacherous business.