Honesty and Courage

Honesty and Courage


One of the many grouses my students face is people who shirk responsibility, push blame and play "Tai-chi", denying their mistakes and have a "Not me" attitude. (read "Not Me" http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/04/not-me.html, "Truth/Honesty http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/07/truth-honesty.html )


On Saturday (21/02/09), I went to a local restaurant for a meal.

The one in-charge of delivering the order mistakenly serve the order to another table who came much later but ordered a similar dish.

When she realised her mistake, she quickly informed the kitchen and rushed my order through.

When she delivered the order to me, she sincerely and profusely apologised for her mistake.

To me, that was very courageous of her cos' it definitely requires courage, apart from humility, to admit, and be honest about one's mistakes.

I assured her it was alright.

Impressed by she and her colleague's working attitude,

That night, I wrote an email to the management of that restaurant, complimenting both of them.

As I said in my email,

"In this age and time when people are denying their mistakes and pushing blame, her honesty was highly commendable."

And it's true.

Think about it :

Who would you trust -

Someone who's full of lies and deceit, and always pushing blame;

Or someone who takes responsibility and is honest?


As The Buddha taught his son Rahula,

"Rahula, there's not a vestige of virtue left in a person who tells lies."

(read "How Buddha Taught Part 3 : Rahula" http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-buddha-taught-part-3-rahula.html)


If a person lies once, they will lie again.

And again.

And there's no telling what they will not do.




"People who do not, cannot and/or refuse to admit to their mistakes; that they are wrong,

Are cowards."





"There is no evil that cannot be done by the liar, who has transgressed the one law (of truthfulness) and who is indifferent to a world beyond."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 176