Don't Let the Dishonesty Out There Worm Its Way Into Your Work

Dishonesty has no place at work. 

Of course, there are "businesses" that thrive on it. In my own industry, financial services, dishonesty has - unfortunately - always held its own and then some. To understand one aspect of the dishonesty in financial services, consider: Wall Street is a sales organization. I learned this from an esteemed colleague. When I first read his words of wisdom I thought it was an exaggeration. I was young and naive. It wasn't.

When you're being sold - by representatives of Wall Street or any other organization - it behooves you to be on guard. Steel yourself against unwanted persuasion, exaggerated claims, and, at times, outright lies. Persuasion manipulates emotions regardless of the truth. Exaggerated claims stretch the truth. And outright lies negate the truth. 

The worst example of Wall Street dishonesty: Boiler Room Operations. Investopedia has a complete write up about these HERE. Here's an excerpt:

Besides the fact that these operations are based on deception and coercion, many of these salespeople and brokers are not even qualified to work in the securities industry. They are also willing to go to great lengths to swindle you.

That's my industry - or at least a segment of it. What about yours? Does it have a dark underbelly of dishonesty? While some industries (like financial services) have more dark splotches than others, few are exempt from questionable practices. Practically none are free from bad actors.

Dishonesty - which includes both lies and exaggeration intended to get you to part with your hard-earned money - has always been a part of some business plans. But business isn't unique in this regard. Think: politics; or doping in sports; or cheating in the classroom; or...well, you get the point, right?

But I submit that dishonesty has now achieved a new level of prominence in our world since arrival of the Mess caused by the arrival COVID descended on us over a year ago. The whole "vaccine" agenda on its own spawns lie after lie, building on the basic assertion that the jabs are "safe and effective." 

No matter what or who you believe, there's little doubt anymore that they cause injury and death. Only the clueless, the shills for the pharmaceutical industry, blind supporters of the current regime, or the legions of zombies roaming our streets in seemingly greater numbers dispute this. And now for all to see, statistics show that vaccinated individuals can and do contract COVID. While the vaccine evangelists now admit this, they claim that the virus harms vaccinated individual less than those who have not taken the jab. We'll see. Never mind the purported longer-term effects of this experimental treatment.

Shall we add the Big Tech/Social Media combine that decides what is true and false - despite evidence to the contrary? We've all seen how they promote certain views and silence those who disagree. It matters little that some of what they claim is true is demonstrably false. They've got power and they use it.

Perhaps it's always been tempting for some to employ dishonesty in business in order to make a buck or advance a career. But with all of us now swimming with the sharks of dishonesty these days, we need be on special guard. Not only do we need to spot the lies floating in the air all around before  we choke on them; but we've got to be especially careful not to succumb to those lies and somehow accepted as OK.

As truths are bludgeoned and falsehoods fed and allowed to spread like poison ivy, the temptation may be to throw up our hands and just get on with our lives. Let's not.

It's important that we identify and recognize dishonesty when it comes knocking at our door. It's more important that we never ever indulge in dishonesty in any of its manifestations. We need to resist and reject them. That's critical to not only the life of our souls but to the souls of others as well. Someone has to stand up to lies and exaggeration, and that someone is us.

The insidiousness of the dishonesty that surrounds us must not be allowed to grow. There's already too much of it worming its way into our lives.