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WE live in an environment where shortcuts are celebrated and dishonesty is often dismissed as “being smart.” It is about time we pause and ask how much we compromise our values. 

A recent conversation during an e-hailing ride reminded me how urgently we must return to principles that truly matter.

It was an ordinary ride from Petaling Jaya to Kuala Lumpur, the kind I’ve taken countless times. 

The 65-year-old driver was friendly and eager to talk. He spoke about how he had just sold his three-year-old car with over 400,000 kilometres on the clock, but he got a good price for it, he said, smiling.

“How?” I asked, curious.

“I had the meter rolled back to 160,000 kilometres,” he said casually. “Who would buy it otherwise?”

He chuckled. I didn’t. I asked him, “But isn’t that cheating?”

He brushed it off. “Everyone does it. You’ve got to be smart these days to make money.”

That ride ended, but the discomfort it stirred lingered.

There was something deeply troubling in how easily he justified his actions. It wasn’t just what he did; it was his pride. It was as if deceiving someone was not only acceptable but admirable.

We’ve reached a point where integrity is often considered naive, and manipulation is necessary. But when did cheating become a badge of honour? When did bending the truth become the norm?

This isn’t just about one tampered odometer. It’s about a mindset becoming all too common, the belief that ethics can be compromised if there’s profit.

In another case, a friend shared an incident. He was pleased that a restaurant had mistakenly failed to charge him for one of the dishes he ordered. 

He saw it as a “bonus”, a lucky break and felt no obligation to inform the cashier about the oversight. 

In fact, he took pride in quietly walking away with what he saw as an unearned gain.

It’s moments like these, seemingly harmless choices, that truly test our honour. 

The question is not whether we can get away with something, but whether we feel right. 

Spirituality teaches us that righteous conduct which is not about being watched, but about living in harmony with our conscience, even when no one is looking.

Cheating is not simply dishonest; it is a betrayal of trust, a distortion of truth, and a denial of our higher self. 

Deceit may offer short-term gain in business, relationships, or daily interactions, but leaves behind a long trail of unseen damage.

At its core, cheating reflects fear - fear of loss, fear of inadequacy, fear of being left behind. But when we act from fear, we lose our moral footing. 

We justify wrongdoing as “strategy” and bargaining as “necessity.” Once ignored, the integrity begins to fall silent, and that silence is dangerous.

Untruthful acts create ripples. They hurt not only those who are cheated, but also the one who cheats by feeding anxiety, weakening character, and eroding inner peace. 

We become uneasy, even if the world doesn’t see it.

I want to cite a quote from the Dalai Lama: “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”

His words are a powerful reminder that honesty and openness are not just moral ideals, but are important for building trust, whether in relationships, institutions, or society.

It signals that fraudulence poisons the soil from which trust grows, not only in society but also in our lives.

We are all accountable not just to others, but to ourselves. 

Every time we justify a lie, no matter how small, we erode the moral compass that ought to guide our choices.

In karmic philosophy, harm inflicted on others, even indirectly, returns to us. 

Selling a tampered car might lead to an accident, and the law of karma suggests we inherit the appropriate weight of these outcomes.

Let us remind ourselves and teach our children that honour is not outdated and that ethics are essential. 

Let’s take the longer, tougher, and more honest path because in the end, it’s not the size of our earnings that defines us, but the uprightness with which we earn them.

And let us remember that wealth earned through honesty brings peace, while riches gained through trickery leave a path of unrest.

May we never be so blinded by profit that we lose sight of our values.

• Award-winning writer Dr T. Selva is the author of the bestsellers Vasthu Sastra Guide and Secrets of Happy Living. To get a copy, WhatsApp 019-2728464. He can be reached at drtselvas@gmail.com / Facebook: Vasthu Sastra