I don’t like to think about it, because it hurts. But lately so many things have bubbled up from the depths that I have been thinking about characteristics of many people in my life. My family, my friends, my students. Acquaintances, associates, peers, elders. Here it is- morals, ethics, values- to an extent, we follow rules set by society, religion, institutions, sometimes without even thinking about what it is we are really doing. Really, we only follow those rules because of rules we set for ourselves. Sometimes it's good to ask ourselves questions: What are our limitations? What are we willing to put up with and endure in order to achieve a desired result? What are we willing to do to get what we want? 
Many of us are guided by our own selfish needs and desires. I don’t think this is wrong. It’s basic instinct. What I do think is wrong is not stopping to weigh in the needs and desires of others, to not realize that we are not the only ones affected by our actions. We, as humans, have this unique capacity to feel- to empathize, sympathize. This should not be ignored. Before you do something that will directly affect others, or even indirectly affect others, ask yourself: If someone did this to me, how would I feel? It seems so incredibly simple. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Unfortunately, easier said than done. Cheating in life, cheating in love, cheating in academics, at work, at games!- at some point, everyone has accepted some level of dishonesty in an attempt to get what they want or to avoid facing the consequences of their actions. It’s not right, but it’s life. That being said, if you choose to be dishonest, you should also choose to accept the consequences. It’s only fair. I think people need to think more before they act. Really think. 
When people lie, when they cheat, it’s more of a slap in the face than anything else. It’s like calling the other person stupid. When people don’t respect each other enough to honor one another’s integrity, it’s sad- we are all in fact human. Where is honor? Where is integrity? Where is accountability? Where is respect for others? If you’re afraid to admit to someone that you did something, chances are, it was wrong, and you shouldn’t have done it in the first place. So, you made a mistake. Don’t make another by being dishonest about it. Own up to it. Show that person you respect him or her as an equal, honor him or her as a person, and explain your error, then maybe together come up with a solution. If a solution can’t be reached, hey, at least YOU tried. At least you did the right thing. At least you were honest. At some level, you're leading by example. Good for you. 
Sadly, rather than pay for mistakes and accept the consequences, many people would rather lie. People would rather hurt others than take responsibility for their actions. You want to keep something you’re not entitled to, so you’re willing to put others in the line of fire. You don’t want to see the pain you’ve caused someone, even though it will be forced out at some point, so you keep quiet as long as you possibly can. You don’t want to feel even more guilty, so you allow someone else to take the blame.
Partly, this rant comes from being upset with myself for allowing myself to trust other people so fully. When someone tells me something, I believe it. Why would they lie? I wouldn’t, so I expect they wouldn’t either. And then I get down on myself. How could I have been so naïve? And I think I shouldn’t trust people so much. I start to feel my faith in the goodness of people slipping away. But then I think about it more, and it only makes me more stubborn. I will NOT lower my expectations. I expect honesty and integrity from those in my life, because that is what I strive to give to them. So, I will continue to be as honest as possible about my thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and actions. Not ostentatious about them, as I feel this little blurb might be, unfortunately, but honest. And I only hope that people will give the same in return, not just to me, but to everyone. Especially the ones they care about, which obviously includes themselves as well.
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