Article April 10, 2000 Issue

Honesty matters

By Candace du Mars

Sometimes what seems like a small indiscretion can have far-reaching effects. Telling a "little" lie can shake up families and even governments. Fudging on taxes, "borrowing" a few pencils and notebooks from the office, pocketing incorrect change, or hooking up to the television cable without paying may all seem to be minor infractions of honesty. One might ask, "Isn't it enough just to concentrate on the bigger ethical issues? Is it really necessary to cross every t and dot every i?"

In the long run, cheating doesn't pay.