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Imagine sitting in a class. You, along with everyone else, are taking a test. You look over at your neighbor's test and see the answer that you are missing. Unfortunately for you, the teacher saw you and she takes your test and puts a big F on the top of the paper. Now imagine that you are taking the same test online. You are missing one answer, and although the test is closed-book, you know that the answer is at your fingertips. You grab for the book, find the answer, and submit the test. No one knows except for you that you have cheated. You get an A on the test and your grade in the class rises. What is the difference between the two situations? The only difference is the grade that you receive. In both cases you have cheated. You have compromised your integrity for a measly letter on a report card. In both cases you didn't know the answer, and you were dishonest in order to get it. In one situation you got caught, and in the other you didn't. However, in both cases you have been dishonest with yourself and others.

Being honest is not just telling the truth when we have been caught. Being honest is a lifestyle. Every decision we make, every word that we speak, reflects the kind of person that we are on the inside. One of the easiest things to do in life is to justify our dishonesty. Below are two common excuses that people make for their lack of integrity.

1. I'm Not Hurting Anyone But Myself

This is one of the worst justifications possible. First, it is very unlikely that we affect only ourselves when we decide to lie or cheat. It affects our families, present and future, because it forms a pattern. If we are willing to tell small lies to get ahead, that will lead to telling bigger lies later on and hurting people who we care about. Second, why would we want to hurt ourselves? Depression is not a good feeling. When we make a habit of being dishonest we get ourselves in trouble, and it's true, we do hurt ourselves. When people see that we are hurt, or sad, it affects them and it could lead to disastrous consequences.

2. Just This Once

It's like Lays potato chips, one just isn't enough. When we tell a small lie, it sets us up to tell other lies. For example, imagine that a teenager sneaks out of his house. He comes home and gets back in bed before his parents even know. The next day his parents hear from his friend's parents that they were at a huge party. Now imagine that this teenager simply tells his parents that it's not true. That's lie number one. Now

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