Honesty is always important

Hyorim Kim
April 5 2010
Final RD3

Honesty is always important


One of my favorite stories is about George Washington and the cherry tree. When George Washington was six years old, he visited a blacksmith and found a nice little axe to bring home. Like any other kid, young George Washington wanted to try the axe and had cut down a beautiful English cherry tree in his garden. Unfortunately, the tree was his fathers’ favorite and became furious when his favorite tree had been chopped down. His father asked him “George, do you know who chopped down my beautiful tree in the garden?” despite of fear, he confessed what he did. His father’s temper cooled down and said “My son, you should not be afraid to tell the truth as the truth is more to me than a thousand trees.” This story represents how honesty is important and a beautiful thing. I was also impressed how George Washington’s father responded to his son’s truthfulness. [THESIS] Honesty is the most important ethical value in our lives. Honesty has to be the most important fundamental component parents and leaders must possess since they have great responsibility to lead. [THESIS]


We know how to be an ethical and honest person being truthful, however, depending on certain situations, people’s opinion varies about lying. For example, although a person has the information that others need, if he remains silent when others are asking a question does he lie? Many people think that he is not lying, he has a right to do keep silent, the Fifth Amendment. However, some people have a little different. Edward Lee states that not answering a question when you know the answer is considered lying because you're lying about your knowledge of the question and feigning ignorance. I agree with Edward Lee because keeping silent is still one of the communicative ways, non-verbal communication, as it causes misunderstanding to other people. To be honest, what we say and what we do are the same or not we deviate from honesty. Because of such reason, honesty is the most rudimentary element of being a parent and leader.


Wes Hanson introduces six standards of ethics, called the “Six pillars,” In his book the “Making Ethical Decisions. The six pillars are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Every component has to be considered by people equally but depends on people’s position as some ethical factors are more valuable among the “Six pillars.” For example, caring and responsibility are the most important factor to parents, while trustworthiness and responsibility are more worth to leaders in business. Moreover, these pillars must be based on honesty. People cannot perfect any of six pillars without honesty. Especially, leaders and parents who are leading their group must be honest because their unethical issues bring negative impacts on people.


Because of Confucianism, we have a number of related beliefs of being parents in Korea. It is believed that “parents are the mirrors that reflect their children’s behavior.” In other words, parents are the role model of their children. I have worked at mental clinic center as an art therapist. Parents brought their kids that considered as abnormal behaviors such as lying all the times and violence. However, eventually, in the end of the therapy, most of parents have contributed their kids’ unfavorable behaviors. Simply, seven-year old child tell lies always to his or her parents, friends, and teachers, where does lies come from? Children learn from their parents. Indeed, there is a new research about parental lying done by University of Toronto and the University of California, San Diego. If parents are regularly lying to their child, it causes children’s misbehaviors and damaging feelings. (2009) Parents have responsibilities for their children because only honest parents can bear honest kids. Parents are the leader of a house and their children, the role of leader is very important not only in house but also business.


Leaders in companies greatly relate to ethical issues such as caring and responsibility because they provide products that people use. The product could be food, toys or cars. If they ignore the essence of caring and responsibility for people using their goods, company could lose their values and the customers’ trust. Recently, we had a big new about Toyota recall. Until the recall issued, Toyota Company had a good business image that they produce reliable cars. First time when I received the new, I thought the problem was simply a defective part of cars. However, by chance, I have read a magazine about a piece of interesting article Toyota recalls. Early in 2006, one of employees of Toyota warned the significant safety problem in a number of cars to his boss. Although Toyota Company knew that the widow electronic system could cause problems, they ignored due to the cost-cutting plan and the name of competition. I was very impressed what the employee said four years ago that “become a great problem that involves the company's survival.”


The most important ethical value is honesty. Being honest is always valuable both in home and work place. In house, parents are the leaders and the role model of their children. When parents keep honesty in how they act and speak, they can raise healthy children mentally. Children learn how they behave through copying their parents. Parents have a responsibility to their kids’ ethic problems. Today many of companies are dealing with either quality or quantity. According to severe competitions in industry, some companies tend to chose quantity rather than quality. Leaders of a company must understand that when they are producing a product, they must take care of the users and think their responsibility of the product. When leaders lose their honesty, it causes significant dilemmas to their people and business like Toyota Company. We do not consider hiding honesty, but we always consider hiding lies and unethical issues. Parents and leaders require honesty and never hide their lies or unethical issues because there is always someone being affected by them and eventually not being honesty will be exposed in the air.

Works cited

DeMello, January, “Discussion 1 (March 18)” Online posting. 17 March 2010. Laulima Discussion. 27 March 2010 [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.33517.201030/page/c2a89a6c-a93e-47dd-b419-873ef93bb50f]

Hanson,Wes. “Making Ethical Decsions.” Joesphson Institute. [http://josephsoninstitute.org/MED/index.html]

Lee, Edward, “Discussion 2 (March 18)” Online posting. 17 March 2010. Laulima Discussion. 27 March 2010 [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.33517.201030/page/c2a89a6c-a93e-47dd-b419-873ef93bb50f]

University of Toronto. "Lies My Parents Told Me: Parents Use Deception To Influence Their Children." ScienceDaily 23 September 2009. 27 March 2010 [http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2009/09/090922132844.htm]


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