Dishonesty is the best policy: But dishonet has weak legs

Most of us believe that a man is selfish by nature, but I believe it depends on their surroundings, society, and circumstances how far down one can go or how honest one stays, depending on their upbringing.

This is human nature, and one's behavior between selfishness and morality depends on different aspects. However, at his core, a person is often selfish, and this is not in the sense of greed alone. At this point, let me make it clear that there is a natural instinct sitting deep within one's survival, ambition, and self-preservation.

This selfishness is neither bad nor encouraging, but a simply a truth we all carry within ourselves. Yet, how far one lets this selfishness spread and how it works in the face of life’s challenges depends on what shapes us by our surroundings, society, and the circumstances that our life depends upon.

Image mine

Personally, I believe that honesty and kindness come naturally, and goodness is an inherent virtue present in everyone, but reality shows a different picture. A person going through a rough situation in their life or constantly fighting for their survival in poor conditions might grow a selfish desire.

And we can see this happening around the world. The truth is, everyone or anyone can slip down the slope out of self-interest, especially when the world around them seems indifferent or even hostile, or maybe due to financial strains.

Imagine a young person growing up in a community where survival means putting himself first, with neighbors judging them closely, and smiling in a way that seems mocking. In such a situation, he might get tempted to become selfish. Because for him, honesty will be a luxury he can barely afford. I really won't blame him.

To be frank, this is the environment that doesn't accept any excuse, and it simply explains why sometimes men choose the easier way that leads to dishonesty because walking on that path one feels secure, or has more advantages, but it kills his spirit slowly.

Now, if you compare them with people grown in an atmosphere with fair values, mutual respect, and collective well-being, yet, his selfish instincts still exist. But when grief, desperation, or fear seize a man's nature, then every caution goes astray.

I have been watching it grow over time. I can see the shades of "You scratch my back, I do yours" growing over time. And I don't blame them because it is in these circumstances that selfishness can become a shield or a weapon.

A father who steals food to feed his starving children may be wrong in front of society, but can you really blame them? But a person stealing to buy costly gifts for his girlfriend! Would you justify it? Yet an onlooker like me who chooses silence over truth to protect someone’s dignity may lose my own peace, and that's what I am feeling today.

The journey of an honest man is not a straight road but a winding path, like climbing a hilly road. The one with some pride, regrets watching this all. A man may see someone fall, or spread it more by keeping mum or watching from the sidelines.Not my way.

I feel that circumstances change, but human dignity, once reclaimed, endures. So, to be selfish by nature is not a flaw to despair over but a human condition. This is in every life story, where selfish desire and honesty are the real measure of a man.

What does it mean, then, to be truly honest? Perhaps it is not about perfection. It is about choosing to listen to the small voice that reminds us of fairness, and even when selfishness takes over, we should have the courage to keep standing in the face of our own flaws or to rise just a little higher than the circumstances that try to pull us down.