Is honesty really the best policy?

I can remember my school teacher who was not only honest but who used to try his best to inspire his students to be honest. This teacher was sacked from his job for being honest

Most of you might not agree but I have discovered recently that most of the morals we are taught during our childhood is not based on reality and in some cases are false. As we grow old, we understand that things are just the opposite to what we are taught and sometimes, the morals make us disqualified in this competitive world.
For quite a long time, I had trusted the childhood teaching that  honesty is the best policy. This is the teaching I had got almost in every books during my childhood. And I have tried my best to follow this teaching. However, my recent realization is : this teaching can make us disqualified in the present competitive world.   Now I feel that I have destroyed my potentials by remaining honest because honesty is not actually the best policy.
In this country, it is not difficult to find people who are utmost honest but they are struggling to lead a decent life. On the otherhand, there are many people who are dishonest like Satan but they have fame, money, respect and everything that one can dream to have. I often do not understand how honesty can be best policy and how honesty can lead someone to success.
I can remember my school teacher who was not only honest but who used to try his best to inspire his students to be honest. This teacher was sacked from his job for being honest. His only fault was: he did not agree to obey some undue orders from the headmasters and the managing committee of the school. When he was jobless, struggling with poverty, I told him:“Sir, you taught us: honesty is the best policy but I don’t think that it is true.” My teacher was silent for some times and then I saw my teaching was crying. There are many such incidents in my life and I have seen honest people are being insulted and they are the people who are disrespected in the society. If you just open your eyes, it will not be difficult for you to find out some examples that honest people are insulted while dishonest people are respected.
Most of the morals that are taught are actually opposite to the reality. It is said “ Chorer Dosh Din grihoster aak din” meaning thief will be caught one day. But, if you live in Bangladesh, you will know that it is not true. Billions of taka were being robbed from our banks and from the share markets but we have not seen that the robbers are being caught.
One after another, robbers continue their activities but they are not being caught and we know it well that they will not be caught in the near future. That’s why this moral should be changed at least for Bangladesh- “Chorer agaro din grihoster kono din nai.”
Let’s end the article discussing a moral I was taught at the first day of my school and its contradiction. I can remember that on my first day at my school my school teacher gave me a task. The task was some simple mathematical exercise. When I was not getting answer of one exercise, I looked into the script of a student next to me. This was the time my class teacher saw me. She came to me and said:“Cheating is very bad practice. One who cheats examination cannot succeed.” Interestingly, in my whole life, I have seen many successful people who cheated in examinations. There are university teachers, bureaucrats, army officials, politicians, police officers and so on. You might be surprised but it is true that people who do not cheat in examinations are not successful.
I believe that as I try to follow the morals I was taught in my childhood, I could not succeed in life. These gave me wrong direction in my life. I do not want our next generation are also misguided by these morals. It is time we should change the morals like- Dishonesty is the best policy, Cheating in exam is not bad.

The writer is a journalist currently working in the development field. He can be reached at [email protected]

Is honesty really the best policy?

I can remember my school teacher who was not only honest but who used to try his best to inspire his students to be honest. This teacher was sacked from his job for being honest

Most of you might not agree but I have discovered recently that most of the morals we are taught during our childhood is not based on reality and in some cases are false. As we grow old, we understand that things are just the opposite to what we are taught and sometimes, the morals make us disqualified in this competitive world. For quite a long time, I had trusted the childhood teaching that honesty is the best policy. This is the teaching I had got almost in every books during my childhood. And I have tried my best to follow this teaching. However, my recent realization is : this teaching can make us disqualified in the present competitive world. Now I feel that I have destroyed my potentials by remaining honest because honesty is not actually the best policy. In this country, it is not difficult to find people who are utmost honest but they are struggling to lead a decent life. On the otherhand, there are many people who are dishonest like Satan but they have fame, money, respect and everything that one can dream to have. I often do not understand how honesty can be best policy and how honesty can lead someone to success. I can remember my school teacher who was not only honest but who used to try his best to inspire his students to be honest. This teacher was sacked from his job for being honest. His only fault was: he did not agree to obey some undue orders from the headmasters and the managing committee of the school. When he was jobless, struggling with poverty, I told him:Sir, you taught us: honesty is the best policy but I dont think that it is true. My teacher was silent for some times and then I saw my teaching was crying. There are many such incidents in my life and I have seen honest people are being insulted and they are the people who are disrespected in the society. If you just open your eyes, it will not be difficult for you to find out some examples that honest people are insulted while dishonest people are respected. Most of the morals that are taught are actually opposite to the reality. It is said Chorer Dosh Din grihoster aak din meaning thief will be caught one day. But, if you live in Bangladesh, you will know that it is not true. Billions of taka were being robbed from our banks and from the share markets but we have not seen that the robbers are being caught. One after another, robbers continue their activities but they are not being caught and we know it well that they will not be caught in the near future. Thats why this moral should be changed at least for Bangladesh- Chorer agaro din grihoster kono din nai. Lets end the article discussing a moral I was taught at the first day of my school and its contradiction. I can remember that on my first day at my school my school teacher gave me a task. The task was some simple mathematical exercise. When I was not getting answer of one exercise, I looked into the script of a student next to me. This was the time my class teacher saw me. She came to me and said:Cheating is very bad practice. One who cheats examination cannot succeed. Interestingly, in my whole life, I have seen many successful people who cheated in examinations. There are university teachers, bureaucrats, army officials, politicians, police officers and so on. You might be surprised but it is true that people who do not cheat in examinations are not successful. I believe that as I try to follow the morals I was taught in my childhood, I could not succeed in life. These gave me wrong direction in my life. I do not want our next generation are also misguided by these morals. It is time we should change the morals like- Dishonesty is the best policy, Cheating in exam is not bad. The writer is a journalist currently working in the development field. He can be reached at [email protected]