~Six Truths About Trust - Am I Trustworthy?

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TRUST(worthy) - Am I worthy of trust?

Bill Clinton lied about having sex with "that woman, Monica Lewinsky." The Reverend Ted Haggard lied about having sex with a male prostitute. Martha Stewart lied about insider trading. Enron, Adelphia, and WorldCom executives lied about profits. New York Times reporter Jayson Blair lied in his reporting. Los Angeles Laker Vladi Radmonovic lied about how he got injured. And Scooter Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney`s chief of staff, lied about how he leaked information about CIA agent Valerie Plame.

And these examples barely scratch the surface.

Lies like these generate so much cynicism that many people assume they`re being lied to all the time.

In this climate, the concept of trust -- real, bona fide 'I believe you' trust -- is not merely rare, it`s an extremely valuable personal and institutional asset. If you want to be one of those who possesses this asset, consider these six truths of trust.

1. The more honesty costs, the more trust it buys. Telling the truth, even when it hurts, is the most potent trust-builder.

2. There are no little lies. Every lie undermines the foundation of trust.

3. Lies are like Styrofoam cups; you can try to bury them, but they won`t disappear. Old lies are as corrosive to trust as new ones.

4. While honesty and forthrightness don`t always pay, dishonesty and concealment always cost. Cover-ups make things worse.

5. Lies breed other lies. It`s harder to tell just one lie than to have just one potato chip. Once you start lying, it takes an ever-growing bodyguard of new lies to protect the old ones.

6. Don`t be seduced by the "fight fire with fire" excuse or all you`ll end up with is the ashes of your integrity. Self-justifications aside, you can`t lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar and a cheater.


from CharacterCounts.org