Honesty and Respect - Byju Joseph

Honesty is one of the most important moral values to possess and practice everyone. It helps to develop discipline, respect, kindness etc. Being educators what is our role? What are the things that we can do to inculcate the moral values in the present and coming generations? Education does not mean acquiring knowledge in a certain field. It means the all-round development of an individual. At present, the educational system is value-based. By education, a trustworthy, and honest, a dedicated and respectful generation should be evolved. The new generation thus coming out should be able to face the world fearlessly and should be able to solve the issues in a sustainable manner. 

There is a proverb “HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY”. It makes clear that honesty is the best way to achieve success. People often say that the truth is God and that only honest men are entitled to heaven. Even if a person does not believe in God he should be honest, if he wishes to succeed in the world. If a man is honest people will trust him and will be willing to have dealings with him. Honesty is, therefore, the best policy. Honesty makes a person free of all troubles and fearless and it leads him to mental satisfaction and happiness.  

Honesty and Respect are related to each other. If we are honest in all aspects, others will respect us. ‘Respect is the reward for being honest.’ It is something that we cannot buy or cannot take from others forcefully. It naturally comes as a result of our behaviour. As human nature, it is deeply existing in our mind that everyone should respect us every time without thinking whether it is deserved or not. If we want respect from others, we should respect others more. We should respect not only other people but also their properties or belongings. Self-respect is very important in this regard. 

If we consider the life of a human being we can understand how he develops the quality of respect. At an early childhood or before schooling, he learns many things from his parents. Parents usually tell their child to wish and get blessings by touching feet or by other ways when relatives or elders come to their home. When parents take their child to get admission in the school, they tell, ‘This is your teacher and this is the principal, wish them.’ The child obeys and at the same time, he observes his parents and others what they are doing. By these small things or happenings, gradually an admiration towards parents and others germinates in the child. This admiration towards others slowly changes to respect and develops in the child. Further nourishment he gets from the school.

Byju P. Joseph
The Fabindia School