lifestyle

Last week I ordered by email, and received, a new set of bike training rollers for indoor training.  I ordered them from a special advertised by a bike shop in Osaka.  They had great deals on two models, the basic model at an excellent price, and another with all of the extras for close to double the price.  I chose the basic model and I transferred the money for supply and freight.  However, when the rollers arrived, they were actually the deluxe version and I was a bit puzzled.  I was happy to have all of the extra features, but I didn’t want to pay for them.  I didn’t need the expensive version, but it would be useful in certain circumstances.  It was obvious that the shop had made a mistake, but what was the best thing to do?

In Australia, there seems to be a developing culture of making the most of others mistakes.  If someone gives you the wrong change, if it is too little - you complain - if it is too much - you keep quiet.  If someone drops some money, you wait till they walk on and then pick it up.  In Japan, however, there is a tradition for honesty.  If someone drops a big roll of 10,000 yen notes on the ground, there is a pretty good chance that it will still be there when they get back.  The Japanese people have developed this sort of honesty into an art form.  They may not be particularly honest in other areas, but when it comes to possessions, they have a long history. 

So what does a foreigner do when he is given a situation to practice his honesty?  I emailed the shop and told them of their mistake, expecting to have to arrange a freighted exchange, but the reply came back surprising.  The shop recognised the mistake, but said that as it was their mistake, that they would like to credit it to me as a bonus.  How generous is that?  They gave me a set of 29000 yen rollers for 17000 yen and I have a clear conscience.

I have been trying to practice this kind of honesty for years now.  It is not natural for me and it sometimes takes some thinking.  However I have found out that the more I practice this sort of honesty, the more I like it.  Over the long term, I have found that in very few situations I will end up worse off, with the other party taking advantage of the situation.  Sometimes I end up no worse and no better off.  However, in the majority of cases, I find myself better off than previously, when I go out of my way to be honest.  I find that this sort of honesty effects me in 5 different ways:

1. Ethical - If I am honest in an unconventional way, then I build my ethical backbone.  I tune myself in to what is right and wrong and no longer dull my conscience by my actions
2. Legal - If I am honest in this way, I clear my legal conscience and can relax knowing that I have fulfilled my duty, no matter how small the issue.  Nobody could claim in court that I have mistreated them.
3. Psychological - If I am honest in my business with others then my opinion of myself is preserved.  I can feel my integrity and my sense of worth increases.
4. Emotional - There is no internal struggle or division in how I feel about my actions.  When I get the chance to use my honesty, I am proud and glad of how I who I am.
5. Practical - Often there are tangible benefits to honesty.  There may be a payoff immediately or perhaps my actions could bring benefits in the future.  In a practical sense, honesty pays.

Why are we afraid of honesty like this?  I think the fear of losing control of the situation makes us afraid of dealing with others honestly.  We have this subconscious idea that if we control the truth then we are able to control the situation.  Dishonesty, never really works this way except in the movies.  In the real world, the only way to have control like this is if we reverse our thinking.  Only if we control the situation can we control the truth.  How does that sound?  To me it is a good reason to live a proactive, deliberate and honest life.

When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that required your honesty?

Thanks

Tom