THREE HORSES

Maybe I’m too simple.

I have just three basic rules for myself, rules I never break.

1. Tell the truth

2. Keep your word

3. Take responsibility for your actions.

It seems to me that whenever things go REALLY wrong whether in personal relationships, business dealings or politics, it’s because somebody – sometimes everybody – failed to obey at least one of these three rules.

TELL THE TRUTH.

I’m talking about the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, to the absolute best of your knowledge and belief.

I define a "lie" as a falsehood knowingly told, with the intention to deceive, in order to either do harm to someone else, or gain some advantage for yourself.

It can be a direct lie, a lie by omission or a lie by obfuscation -- including telling a part of the “truth” in such a way as to mislead.

KEEP YOUR WORD.

First of all, be clear on what you’re giving your word on and why.

If you give your word hastily, because you didn’t think it through, or because you were persuaded, or “pressured” --- tough. You’re stuck with it. You have to keep your promises.

Here’s an example. Say you agree to paint a guy’s house for $500 bucks. But you check the price of paint and find out it’s gone up a LOT. Do you go back to the guy and say, “I have to charge you $750 for the job?”

Nope.

A deal’s a deal.

You should have checked on the price of paint BEFORE you shook hands on it and it’s not the other guy’s fault you didn’t. Next time, I bet you will.

Having said that, I believe your obligation is limited to exactly what you promised, in both word and spirit, and nothing else.

Here’s an example.

An acquaintance asks me for a lift to the bank so he can cash a check,

I agree.

I’m parked in the 15 minute zone out front to wait for him when he comes running out with a bag of money in one hand, a gun in the other and a security guard not far behind.

He jumps into the passenger side and yells, “Drive, Man! Drive!”

Am I obligated to be his wheelman?

Didn’t I promise…?

No way.

I agreed to help him cash a check, not rob a bank.

He can stop worrying about the cops and start worrying about me, because that pistol is about to wind up someplace real uncomfortable for him…

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS

That’s a tough one, isn’t it?

It's practically un-American!

Seems like lately, nobody’s responsible for a thing that they do. It’s all somebody else’s fault. Bubba blows a guy’s brains out and blames the gun manufacturers for making the weapon, the police for not getting there in time to stop him, his mommy and daddy who didn’t get you that new bicycle for his birthday when he was 5 years old, the guy who bumped into him on the subway last year and didn’t say “excuse me,” the school system that failed to teach him, the legal system that failed to reach him, television for dumbing him down, pornography just because sex MUST be to blame somehow --- everybody in the whole phone book is to blame for the murder Bubba did.

EXCEPT Bubba.

Sorry, Bubba. Not buying that.

Tell the truth.

Keep your word.

Take responsibility.

Three little rules.

I don’t see how you can be a person -- or nation -- of integrity without them.

sj