Honesty - the Best Policy Essay Example for Free

Honesty the Best Policy Essay Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthful and with fairness, as best one is able. It is related to truth as a value. This includes listening, reasoning and any action in the human repertoire — as well as speaking. Superficially, honesty means simply, stating facts and views as best one truly believes them to be. It includes both honesty to others, and to oneself (see: self-deception) and about ones own motives and inner reality. Western views on honesty  Since the quality of honesty applies to all behaviors, one cannot refuse to consider factual information, for example, in an unbiased manner and still claim that ones knowledge, belief or position is an attempt to be truthful. Such a belief is clearly a product of ones desires and simply has nothing to do with the human ability to know. Basing ones positions on what one wants — rather than unbiased evidence gathering — is dishonest even when good intentions can be cited — after all even Hitler could cite good intentions and intended glory for a select group of people. Clearly then, an unbiased approach to the truth is a requirement of honesty. Because intentions are closely related to fairness and certainly affect the degree of honesty/dishonesty, there is a wide spread confusion about honestyand a general belief that being dishonest means that one always  correctly understands if their behavior is either honest or dishonest. Self-perception of our morality is non-static and volatile. Its often at the moment we refuse to consider other perspectives that there is a clear indication we are not pursuing the truth, rather than simply and exclusively at the moment we can muster up evidence that we are right. Socrates had much to say about truth, honesty and morality, and explained that if people really understood that their behavior was wrong — then they simply wouldnt do it — by definition. Unfortunately, honesty in the western tradition has been marginalized to specific instances — perhaps because a thorough understanding of honesty collides with ideologies of all types. Ideologies and idealism often exaggerate and suppress evidence in order to support their perspectives — at the expense of the truth. This process erodes the ractice and understanding of honesty. To an ideologist the truth quite often becomes insignificant, what matters most are their ideals and what ever supports their desires to enjoy and spread those ideals. Human beings are inherently biased about what they believe to be good due to individual tastes backgrounds, but once one understands that a decidedly biased approach to what is true — is inherently dishonest, one can also understand how idealism and ideology have poorly served the quest for an honest, moral society. Both honesty and morality require that we base our opinions about what is good — upon unbiased ideas of what is TRUE — rather than vice versa (determining what is true based on what we feel is good) — the way all ideologies would have us believe. The studies of Confucius about honesty Confucius recognized several levels of honesty, fundamental to his ethics: His shallowest concept of honesty was implied in his notion of Li: all actions committed by a person to build the ideal society aiming at meeting their surface desires of a person either immediately (bad) or longer term (good). To admit that one sought immediate gratification could however make a bad act better, and to hide ones long term goals could cloud a good act. A key principle was that a gentleman must strive to convey his feelings honestly on his face, so that these could help each other coordinate for long term gain for all. So there was a visible relation between time horizon, etiquette and ones image of oneself even in the mirror. This generates self-honesty and keeps such activities as business calm, unsurprising, and aboveboard. In this conception, one is honest because it suits ones own self-interest only. Deeper than Li was Yi or righteousness. Rather than pursuing your own interests you should do what is right and moral based on reciprocity. Here too time is central, but as a time span: since your parents spent your first three years raising you, you spent three mourning them after they die. At this level one is honest about ones obligations and duty. Even with no one else to keep you honest or to relate to directly, a deeply honest person ould relate to ancestors as if they were alive and would not act in ways that would make them ashamed. This was part of the moral code that included ancestor worship, but Confucius had made it rigorous. The deepest level of honesty was Ren, out of which flowed Yi and thus Li. Confucius morality was based upon empathy and understanding others, which required understanding ones own moral core first, rather than on divinely ordained rules, which could simply be obeyed. The Confucian version of the Golden Rule was to treat your inferiors as you would want your superiors to treat you. Virtue under Confucius is based upon harmony with others and a recognition of the honest reality that eventually (say in old age) one will come under the power of others (say ones children). So this level of honesty is to actually put oneself in context of ones whole life and future generations and choose to do or say nothing that would not reflect ones familys honour and reputation for honesty and acceptance of truth, such as eventual death. Partially because of incomplete understanding of these deeper notions of honesty among Westerners, in Asian countries it is common to refer to those who do not have them as barbarians. While sometimes Asian cultures sanction an almost intolerable degree of delay and ambiguity for Western tastes, it is very often to avoid lying, or giving a positive impression where doubt exists. These would be thought dishonest by Asians. Thus pressing for a decision on a matter where it is not yet possible to give an honest commitment or answer is seen as extremely rude in effect, forcing someone to choose to be either rude or dishonest. Both being unthinkable in traditional culture, one thus delays. A Buddhist teaching on honesty Thanissaro Bhikkhu taught: â€Å"Real honesty is being honest about what your possibilities are, what your potentials are. Thats where true honesty lies. It stretches us. It’s not simply admitting where we are that’s a beginning step, it’s not the end step. So be honest about where you are but also be honest about what your possibilities are. That keeps the challenge of the path always before us. †

The High Price of Urban Sprawl Essay -- Urbanization Urban Essays

Urban sprawl is a social pattern describing the way cities continue to grow outward uncontrollably. People who do not want to live in an urban atmosphere often seek refuge in suburban areas that have access to metropolitan areas. As more people follow this trend the suburban areas slowly become developed and new areas must be sought for people to inhabit. This leaves some city workers commuting in trains, cars, or even buses for hours. Urban sprawl is not the luxury that it seems to be but actually a social pattern with a great deal of costs. Although people who submit to urban sprawl believe they are getting the best of both worlds, working in the center of development while also living away from it, they also suffer great losses. Land is used improperly, the environment is damaged, and a long and expensive commute is created. While it seems that living away from the city is worthwhile to people in the present, the benefits come with some very high costs. Some people who deal with urban sprawl in the northeast United States make very long commutes from New Jersey to New York City. It is not uncommon for people to commute up to one hundred miles one way to get to work. No matter the form of transportation this proves to be a very long trip twice a day five days a week. Traffic is inevitable with many other people going across the George Washington Bridge, or taking major highways such as the New Jersey Turnpike into New York. According to the 2000 US Census Bureau Statistical Abstract, miles driven to work has been on a slow rise in the United states since 1969. Info from Census Bureau: 1969 1990 1995 MILES Home to Work- 4,183 ... ...me than others but still present for all. Urban sprawl is a phenomenon that undoubtedly comes with many costs, however benefits also exist. In terms of a cost benefit analysis, the answer to the question, â€Å"Is it really worth it?† lies in the individual. Works Cited Ciscel, David H. The Economics of Urban Sprawl: Inefficiency as a Core Feature of Metropolitan Growth. Journal of Economic Issue, Jun 2001, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p405, 9p Gordon, Peter and Richardson, Harry. Critiquing Sprawls Critiques: Policy Analysis, January 24, 2000 Mckee, David and Smith, Gerald. Environmental Diseconomies of Urban Expansion. American Journal of Economics and Sociology Sheehan, Molly O’ Merar. Cars Drive Up the Costs of URBAN SPRAWL. USA Today Magazine, 20020101, Vol. 130, Issue 2680 US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States; 2000, p631, 632

The Amazing Story of How Ratan Tata Built an Empire

He's packing his bags — again. December 2012, when he turns 75, is the third scheduled retirement for Ratan Tata. The Tata Group has been at this inflection point twice earlier, and stepped back both times. In 2002, when Tata was to retire at 65, the Tata Sons board promptly redesignated him non-executive chairman, which meant he could continue for another five years. Three years later, the board upped the retirement age of non-executive directors to 75. The message is clear: Ratan Tata is indispensable. And it's not just the board that feels that way. There were loud cries of support from shareholders at the Tata Steel AGM in August, held soon after the announcement that Tata Sons had created a panel to find Tata's successor. â€Å"We can't lose our ratan (jewel),† said one shareholder, while others asked him to stay on as chairman emeritus. Whether or not he acknowledges it openly, Tata must be feeling vindicated by this public recognition of his worth. When he took over as Tata Group chairman on March 25, 1991, critics were loud and unrestrained in their disapproval and scepticism. Ratan Tata was considered to have gained his position purely on the strength of his surname; he was incompetent, raged opponents both within and outside Bombay House, and he didn't possess an iota of the charisma of his uncle and predecessor, JRD Tata. Nearly 20 years later, Ratan Tata has achieved almost everything on his 1991 agenda. At Rs 3. 46 lakh crore (Rs 3. 46 trillion), Tata Group revenue is 40 times the 1991 level, while net profit has gone up four times.

Engage in Personal Development in Health, Social Care or...

Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings. 1. Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role. Healthcare Assistants play a vital role in the care of patients. Working under the direction of more senior healthcare professionals, they take care of the day-to-day needs of patients by providing help with personal care, meals and mobility. A Healthcare Assistant in Schonfeld Square performs many of the following tasks daily: ââ€" ª Giving showers to patients and doing other tasks related to personal care in general, such as changing pads or helping those less independent to go to a toilet. ââ€" ª Providing breakfasts, lunches and other meals ââ€" ª Helping†¦show more content†¦3.2 Demonstrate use of feedback to evaluate own performance and inform development. Many people have significant difficulty in accepting criticism in any form, even where it is intended to be supportive and constructive. If we are aware that you are likely to have difficulty accepting criticism, we should try to prepare ourselves to view feedback from any source as precious and useful information that can add to our ability to reflect effectively on our work. This is not easy, but it is essential. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development. There are many sources of support that you can access and many different ways that you can help yourself, when developing your practice. The appraisal or supervision system in your workplace can be a good starting point. This will help you to identify areas of your practice that need to be developed, and to plan to use opportunities for training and development. 4.2 Demonstrate how to work with others to review and prioritise own learning needs, professional interests and development opportunities. One of the formal ways of reflecting our own practice and identifying strengths, weaknesses and areas for development is during training opportunities. On a course, or at a training day, aspects of ours practice and areas of knowledge that are new to us will be discussed, and thisShow MoreRelatedUnit 4222-302 Engage in Personal Development in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Settings2419 Words   |  10 PagesUnit 4222-302 Engage in Personal Development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings (SHC 32) Outcome 1: Understand what is required for competence in own work role 1, Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role. 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