Honesty has always been seen as one of the traits that determine people’s character. When a person is seen as dishonest, then he or she is considered to have a bad character. Being honest shows who we are and paves the way for how we interact with each other. The truth is one of the hardest ways out of any situation. For those who are brave at heart, honesty is the only way out of any crisis. However, sometimes telling the truth can lead to arguments with people who want a lie to be told. As a result, honest people can provoke adverse reactions from other members of the community. Therefore, in many cases, people find lying better than telling the truth. Nevertheless, it is always important to tell the truth since, above all, the truth always prevails. This essay discusses why it is crucial to tell the truth.

Students are often faced with complicated situations that require them to decide whether to lie or tell the truth. The easiest way out of each situation is lying by choosing the best outcome. I have been faced with different situations when a difficult decision had to be made in a split of a second. One of these situations was in the fall semester of 2016. In a mathematics class, we were supposed to sit for an exam. During the exam, I wrote a wrong answer to a question and then submitted the paper for grading. When checking my paper, the teacher did not notice the mistake and put me a grade that I did not deserve. On double-checking my paper after it was returned, I noted that the teacher had given me a too high mark. At this point, I began contemplating whether to report this issue or not. After a careful thought, I decided to go to the teacher and tell him the truth. The teacher reassessed my paper and corrected the mark. As a result, I received a lower mark than the one I initially had. It was the last test of the course and my final grade depended on its result.

Even though I did not score an A for the exam, I do not regret about my decision. I handed my paper for correction was that I felt it was the right thing to do. I believe it is morally wrong to accept marks that you do not deserve. Additionally, if I accepted the grade, I would be haunted by a thought that I passed the exam only thanks to a lie. Hence, this is the reason honesty is important.

Gregor Brown is the author of this article. See his another post entitled why is academic writing important.