There are many circumstances in which it may be tempting to act dishonestly in order to gain advantage. From socially, to professionally, to emotionally, the list of possible reasons is endless. Many people believe that dishonesty is always bad; certainly, many religions teach this as an integral part of their philosophy. However, the possibly effects of telling mistruths really depends on the individual circumstance.
One of the main problems with dishonesty is that lies tend to grow in size as time goes on, and then even more lies are needed to compensate for the first lie. Eventually, the dishonest individual can find themselves in a situation where they are trapped in a whole web of interlinking lies. This can be very stressful for the individual as they then have to spend time trying to remember all the different lies and how they affect each other. When the dishonesty involves a big matter such as gaining employment, the lies also have to be kept up over a long period of time, which can be even more stressful for the individual.
Nevertheless, it is arguable that a small degree of dishonesty can, at times, be acceptable. Large amounts of dishonesty, however, can potentially have far reaching effects.
When an individual is applying for a job, it can be tempting for them to dishonestly add extra skills and experiences to their resume. If the job hunter was to tell a minor untruth, this wouldn’t always be a terrible thing. For example, if the individual had once had a job for only a month, and then left because they disliked it, they may choose to ‘erase’ it from their resume and simply bring the end date of their previous job forward a month. This kind of dishonesty is unlikely to be found out and, in most cases, probably won’t have many repercussions. In this example, the individual isn’t being dishonest in a harmful or malicious way, and the lie is relatively minor.
However, if the individual was to tell a large lie, such as to claim that they are a qualified doctor, when in fact they failed medical school and managed to buy a fake degree, this lie may have widely spread effects. In this case, the individual’s dishonesty may result in them obtaining a job and then having to treat ill patients. Clearly, if the individual is not properly trained as a doctor they are likely to make mistakes, putting the lives of others at serious risk. This particular lie may not have been a malicious one, as such. Perhaps the individual was in a huge amount of debt and had a large family to provide for, and therefore needed the money. However, there are few people who would claim that this lie regarding medical qualifications was minor. The lie is, almost definitely, large and very serious and, therefore, the consequences are likely to be severe and widely spread.
In both employment-related examples, the individuals involved may not have been intending to cause any harm. The first job hunter’s removal of one position from their resume probably is unlikely to have had adverse ramifications. However, the second example of dishonesty was quite different in this respect.
Dishonesty can have many consequences, depending on the degree of dishonesty being employed, and on the situation itself. Nevertheless, I would question anyone who claims that honesty is always for the best. Dishonesty can be used, for example, to avoid hurting another person’s feelings. There is such a thing as merciful dishonesty. However, as with any decision, one involving whether or not to tell the truth must be very carefully considered.
