This category includes remarks that are brutally honest. Perhaps in a sensitive world, even honesty needs to be tempered with gentleness, tact, and diplomacy. However, is there a difference between diplomacy and tact verses lying, cheating, deception, and dishonesty?
Lying, dishonesty, misleading, and cheating are forms of corruption, and can have negative consequences upon individuals, relationships, families, communities, and society. On a micro level, corruption can tear apart relationships and destroy families. On a macro level, corruption can lead to undermining democracy, legal systems, legislation, and promote injustice, unleveled playing fields, and greed.
Corruption can spread until it is so wide rampant that the quality of life diminishes or collapses. Or for those where the quality of life has already collapsed or never existed, corruption can prevent those who want a better way of life from receiving the assistance and help to get out.
The polar opposite of corruption is honesty, integrity, fairness, equality, and trust. These are difficult principals to uphold, particularly in a world that often appears to reward those who lie, cheat, break commitments, and feel no remorse or shame. However, if one wants to build a strong lasting relationship with another person or create lasting positive changes within society, the foundation must be based on these principals. Honesty is by far the best policy.
How does one feel when they have been lied to, deceived, wronged, or betrayed, particularly when it is by somebody who trust was placed in? Is it a feeling of hurt, anger, disappointment, and betrayal? Does it result in suspicion, frustration, cynicism, and credibility problems?
If you have been hurt or wronged by somebody who has lied and been deceitful, would you in good conscious want to turn around and do the same to somebody else?