The word Honesty comes from the Latin honestitas (honor, dignity, consideration has one); It is the virtue that characterizes people by respecting good customs, moral principles and the goods of others. It is the constant action of avoiding appropriating what does not belong to us. In the same way, honesty is harmonizing words with deeds, it is having identity and coherence to be proud of yourself. This value is of the utmost importance to maintain a good coexistence within society, since it allows directing all the strategies and actions of people.
What is honesty
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The definition of honesty indicates that it is a quality that people possess, characterized by demonstrating a series of personality attributes, such as dignity, modesty, justice, serenity, righteousness, honesty, as well as the way of acting and to be of the individual. The meaning of honesty implies a quality of human beings, where people act with coherence, that is to say, behaving as they think or feel.
Philosophically speaking, the meaning of honesty indicates that it is a quality of human beings, where people act coherently, that is, acting as they think or feel. People who are characterized by being honest tend to behave according to their principles (justice, integrity, rectitude, etc.) Those who act honestly, generally are distinguished by having an upright spirit in all facets and plans they carry out, respecting above all, the rules that he himself considers correct in the community where he is.
In the same way, being honest is to harmonize words with deeds, it is to have identity and coherence to be proud of yourself. Honesty is a congruent way of living between what is thought and what is done, a behavior that is observed towards others and each one is required to do what is due.
When someone lies, steals, cheats or cheats, their spirit comes into conflict, inner peace disappears and this is something that others perceive because it is not easy to hide. Dishonest people can be easily recognized because they deceive others in an abusive way to obtain a benefit, thus generating mistrust.
It can be concluded that when a human being is honest he behaves transparently with his fellow men; that is, it does not hide anything, and that gives you peace of mind. Who is honest does not take anything foreign, neither spiritual nor material: he is an honest person.
When you are among honest people, any human project can be carried out and collective trust becomes a force of great value. Being honest requires courage to always tell the truth and act upright and clear.
To put honesty into practice, it is enough to know what it is and what it represents, it can be learned within the home with parents or any relative, for example, some of the honesty phrases that can mark a child for all His life is, "do not take what does not belong to you", "do not tell lies", "always try to achieve your goals while respecting others".
Likewise, today, thanks to the communication media such as the internet and social networks, there are endless images of honesty where many of those phrases are reflected, which help to introduce this value much more thoroughly in current society, something that is extremely important since over the years it has been lost. That is why experts today always urge parents to instill this value and teachers to reinforce it within the classroom, since it is on this value that children can become good people.
Honesty according to Confucius
The great Chinese philosopher Confucius affirmed that honesty is one of the elements and values that is most important for a person to be in balance with others and with the environment that surrounds him. According to him, this value can be classified into three phases or levels.
The Li level or surface level
In this phase are the actions that an individual takes in order to get closer to their dreams or goals, both long and short term, but without neglecting integrity. The most important principle of this is the fact that people must show their feelings sincerely in their facial expressions, in order to make it easier for other people to connect to achieve prosperity. This sincerity that includes expressions, also contributes to the internal honor of the person, making any activity that is carried out more pleasant.
The Yi level
Characterized because the subject does not seek his own benefit, but the moral principle of justice, always trying to be reciprocal. In this case, the temporal aspect of the events is relevant, of course, from a time point of view. An example may be the tradition in some regions of mourning parents for three years, which is a kind of gratitude to parents for taking care of their children for the first three years of life.
The Yen level or deep level
In it, a prior self-understanding is needed in order to understand others. At this level, a man must treat equally those individuals who are in the lower ranks of the social strata, as he would like to be treated. This level is based on harmony with others, accepting the fact that at some point in existence, everyone is at the mercy of other individuals.
Honesty at school
How to practice honesty
By putting this value into practice, more people become more confident with other individuals, while at the same time they are happier with themselves. Being an honest person is a reflection of respecting yourself and others. It should be noted that this is a value that is instilled both at home and at school, however, it is possible to learn it anywhere, what should be clear is that since children it is important to know what honesty is.
- Developing righteousness is something that requires will and nothing else, it is important to learn to express feelings as well as emotions, as well as experiences and experiences, each of them reflects the path to honesty.
- Keep in mind your own honor, that is, be clear about the virtues, limitations and defects, it is important never to pretend to be accepted by others, since it could end up generating more problems than solutions.
- Always strive to do something that contributes to a good, be it personal or common, but without expecting something in return for it.
- Respect your neighbor, do not take what is foreign, be sincere while in relationship with another couple, be it friendship or love, the important thing is to always tell the truth, no matter how hard it may be.
- Try to open up to close people, such as teachers or parents.
This behavior can be of help to make good friends, and to be also recognized as a positive and moral person before the rest.
How to teach honesty to children
There is no doubt that this value unites people much more and contributes to forming respect. Honesty is closely related to the people who are in the environment of an individual, something very similar to what happens with the value of friendship. However, this is not only with others, but in a personal way, that is why it is advisable to talk and teach children the importance of being honest with themselves, that is, trying to follow the principles in which they believe, but always respecting others.
According to some experts in psychology, children often learn what is the concept of honesty when parents value the truth within the home. However, there are other ways to promote and develop this quality, some examples are mentioned below.
- Talk to the child and teach him to act sincerely, he should never take what does not belong to him, and always play according to the rules that have been imposed in the game, in that way respect for the laws and the importance of to always be sincere.
- Regarding honesty with yourself, it can be a bit more difficult to explain and impart to children, but a good example would be not cheating on exams, since that would be lying to themselves, and although there would be no third party affected by such action, however, in the future that decision may have consequences.
- It is important to teach that mistakes must be recognized and at the same time, they must be repaired, especially if damage has been caused, this is very significant, since it will be a reason for others to feel respect for that person, because they act with righteousness.
- It is always important to remind him that acting honestly will allow those around him to feel comfortable, creating good friendships from there. This is where the importance of knowing what honesty is and putting it into practice as a way of life lies.
For all this, the value of honesty should not be questioned, since the future depends on acting with rectitude and respect, both internally and externally.
