Why is Honesty the Best Policy?
People in recovery need to understand the concept of honesty. Developing an understanding of the importance of honesty is the key to recovery. In the Therapeutic Community, honesty is probably the most important concept. Without honesty your recovery is nothing, it is built on sand, with no firm foundation. When the storms of life come, and they will, your house of lies will crumble and fall. It is impossible to achieve long-term change without being honest to yourself. A lie may solve a present problem, but it has no future. What is honesty? Thomas Jefferson said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Honesty is, according to the dictionary, to be free of deceit; to be sincere; truthful, trustworthy; wholehearted; worthy. Honesty is personal integrity. Spencer Johnson said, “Integrity is telling myself the truth, and honesty is telling the truth to other people.” Honesty may be a simple policy but it is not easy! There are positive and negative effects to being honest.
