Being human, all of us make
mistakes; all of us are morally imperfect. Still, we don’t like to admit our errors
and faults to others, preferring to present a picture of ourselves as a good
person. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to present ourselves that way, of
course – that is, until we use deceit to convince others that we’re indeed a
perfect person.
Rather, we always should practice
transparency by being open and accountable about our past and our decisions.
That doesn’t mean we have to tell everyone up front about our mistakes and poor
choices. But it does require us to be honest with ourselves and with others
when confronted about that past.
We can practice transparency by explaining
why we made the decision we did and admitting that it was the wrong decision. This
approach means we’re not defending our errors but accepting responsibility for
them.
Another way to practice transparency
is to not blame others for our mistakes. Each of us make our own choices, and
another person’s poor decision doesn’t justify our own bad call.
Acting with transparency builds
trust. It demonstrates to others that we are personally accountable and that
our intention is to be a moral person. By lying, however, you only reinforce
what your past bad decision suggests: That you are an immoral person merely
interested in yourself.
