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VIR-I-0050

“I gave them the real numbers and won the room instead of losing it.”

VIR · Pillar I — Virtue VIR-I · Tell the Truth. Even When It Costs You.

You were sure the honest figure would sink you, so naming it felt like walking off a ledge. It didn't sink you — it made you the one person in the room they could believe. Truth told plainly is its own kind of authority. People follow the man who refuses to flatter them.

Your Practice

  1. Name what you risked by telling the truth, and what you actually got instead.
  2. Notice that the credibility you built is worth more than the win you feared losing.
  3. Keep a private record of the times honesty paid — you'll need it the next time it feels costly.
  4. Decide now that the real number is always the one you'll give. Let it become your reputation.

The Architects

“Well done is better than well said.”

— Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack

More under VIR-I

VIR-I-0001“I lied and now it's eating me alive.”VIR-I-0002“I know what I should do, but it's going to cost me.”VIR-I-0003“I told the truth even though it hurt — and I feel free.”VIR-I-0004“I chose honesty over convenience and it paid off.”VIR-I-0005“My integrity just cost me something — and I'd do it again.”VIR-I-0006“I'm tempted to stretch the truth to get what I want.”
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