Honouring the Honest: A Path to a Better World

Honest people are the true strength of society—the rarest jewels. Yet many fail to practise honesty in all circumstances. Some remain honest simply because life never tests them. The true jewels, however, endure hardship and difficult choices yet still cling to honesty. It is easy to be honest when life is comfortable; it is heroic to be honest in struggle. Such people are not only honest but defenders of honesty itself.

A lifetime of honesty often comes at a heavy price in a world driven by self-interest. Dishonest people dominate society, while the honest are overlooked—too quiet, too humble, too unglamorous to attract attention. But, in their quiet perseverance, they reveal what it means to be fully human.

We often say we want more honest people for a better world, yet we rarely honour those who live it through adversity. Recognising them would give meaning to their struggle and inspire others—including the dishonest—to change. Valuing honesty costs little, but celebrating dishonesty wounds the honest and deepens injustice.Honest people are like lamps in the dark: few, but enough to show the way. Recognising and evaluating honest people is a path to a just society.It is neither impossible nor difficult. It is simply a choice.