Students’ and the honesty

          Semester ended. Internal assessment marks were displayed. Students were looking at the list. Some were happy, some unhappy, few cool.

          One student came to me. Said – ‘Honestly, I had written all the tests, and attended maximum number of lecture hours; but surprise to see that other have earned more marks than me. I feel you, to reconsider and increase my marks’. I told him – ‘Look, these are the marks based on the evidences. Do you know, your test marks are Zeors!’ He nodded and told ‘That’s what, I’m telling you sir, I was honest in writing the test, others were copying.’

‘OK, agreed; but when you are asking to increase the marks, where is the honesty?; aren’t both acts same? Does honesty has a value? Is it not a virtue? Think at this.’ I said.

Many a times, one feels he is honestly working. Being honest is different from working honestly. There is a thin line between them. Being honest is a virtue. Working honestly means, working for progressing in achieving something. In this case, honesty is the ‘word’, being (mis)used as way (parh) to progress. Knowing well, honest path is not easy, why chose it? If chosen, why murmur later?

What is true meaning of honesty? Is the path? Is it the virtue? Is it the being? Can it be expected from this complex society? Or it’s a personal choice? And who makes the choice?