How Honest Are You? (1950)

[Music] watch this scene watch it carefully keep your eye on Bob he's number [Music] eight what did you see do you think Bob's action was honest or dishonest if you saw such an incident what would you do about it that incident came to involve each of us in this room and it caused us to consider the subject of honesty from many angles it sure did that's why Mr Barker he's athletic director of our school suggested that we talk it over with you because well maybe it'll help you to know just what we found out about honesty and we found out plenty to be honest may sound easy some of the time it is but it can be a real problem especially when wanting to be honest conflicts with other things you want to do now getting back to that scene in the locker room it happens that Jim was a witness let's see again exactly what Jim saw well what would you have done I wanted to do the right thing be honest thing but what was it question Bob about it tell Ben that Bob was in his locker reported to Mr Barker I didn't know what to do so I put off doing anything that night I didn't get much sleep the next day at school was awful I just had had to do something tell somebody then after school well I guess when you're in a state like that it doesn't take much to set you off say it's Bob looks like he's buying himself a present sure does let's ask him over let's not how come that money he's spending I know where he got it in the locker room yesterday after he thought everybody had gone I saw Bob take something from Ben's pants pocket I was late dressing I saw it I guess it doesn't take a detective to figure out where he got the money to buy that pen but Bob I can't believe it did you ask Ben if he was missing any money not yet have you reported it not yet but you have to you ought to tell Mr Barker about it right away no you don't you tell Mr Barker and whatever else happens he'll kick Bob off the team where will we be with our Star Center gone and have the schedule left to play G Nick when you put it that way I didn't know what I was going to do but I realized I shouldn't have blurted out in public that way so I asked the kids to promise me not to say a word and did they yes we promised but then this one's on me Terry here's what happened after Jim and Nick left the drugstore Terry and I talked about what Jim had told us until Terry there's nothing for you to do but tell Mr Barker about Bob but we promised Jim a promise to tell a lie doesn't count I didn't promise to tell a lie it's the same thing I can't understand you're being so calm about having a thief on your team it's your duty to tell Mr Barker and if you don't I will well there I was wanting to be square with Jim but well I didn't want Rose mad at me and it did seem dishonest to conceal a thing like that so at practice the next day i' made up my mind to speak to Mr Buck I don't know just how I was going to say it but Nick and Jim had seen me they moved in fast to keep me from talking well I didn't get to speak to Mr Barker that day I'm not sure I wanted to anyway anyway when I found out what happened I marched right in this office the next day and told Mr Barker now you've seen what actually happened what Jim saw well here's the picture I described to Mr Barker that's the picture I gave Mr Barker at the time I really thought I was telling the truth but of course welcome back to you Rose but now let's have a little scull practice of course after Rose made a report I did what was the obvious thing for me to do I questioned Bob and Ben and I found but that can wait right now let let's see what pointers we can pick up about honesty well one thing I learned to be honest you have to find the truth that's not always easy I saw Bob take something from Ben's locker and then I saw him buy an expensive pen it seemed he had stolen some money but you didn't know I'd stolen it that's right and you didn't even give me the benefit of a doubt no you should have asked yourself some questions Jim is it logical to think that Bob would steal does it jive with your past experience of the way Bob operates Jim your physics teacher might say that you uh formed your hypothesis and jumped to your conclusion you skipped that all important part of testing your hypothesis sometimes it takes a lot of testing to find the truth but now can we draw up another General principle about honesty I'd say the next step is pretty obvious tell the truth is it that simple no I don't think it is simple and certainly the way I described Bob slinking in and taking the money that wasn't the truth at least not the way Jim told me the story maybe it was my fault I wasn't careful to tell you exactly what I saw let's call it express the truth we mean being careful that what you say is the truth and also being careful when you talk about it thing being sure that people understand what you mean but there's something more to being honest than just telling the truth when I promised Jim not to say anything and then went to you intending to talk wasn't that dishonest and what about me maybe I wasn't honest when I broke it up and wouldn't let him tell we said at the start that Honesty often involves conflicts let's think back it seems to me Terry that your intentions were honorable your conflict was between your pledge to Jim and your own sense of doing what was right you believed you were doing the right thing but Nick stopped you there's a good deal to be said for his intentions too he was thinking of the good of the team not that I'm saying he was right it ever came about that we had to Harbor a known thief on our team in order to win games I guess I wasn't thinking very deep but I could just see the whole season blowing up in our faces maybe maybe inside I didn't really believe Bob was a thief inside I think that's the clue to this bigger thing we're seeking how's this know yourself examine your motives now what what you're doing and why you're doing it if your intentions aren't honest then your deed can't be completely honest I guess this is the time for me to explain my hypocrisy when I came in to tell Mr Barker about Bob I started by saying certain things what I said and what I was really thinking were two different things it was something like this Mr Barker there's something you ought to know about one of your boys there's something I want you to know about one of your boys the boys won't say anything so I feel I must be honest and tell you I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell but I want to be sure that you find out about Bob foran and when you do I can just see it you'll kick Bob off the team and Terry will become the regular Center my Terry Al needs a chance you'll be the star of the team and I'll be sitting on top of the world that Mr Barker is the real reason why I had to tell you whether or not I thought I was telling the truth my motive being what it was I was not being honest thanks Rose this hasn't been easy I know but you've learned a lesson a lesson in honesty honesty to yourself and honesty to others that lesson will stand you in good stead all your life I I think we've all learned a good lesson I've always heard that honesty is the best policy now I'm catching on to why that's so it isn't always easy to be honest but when you have a problem involving your own honesty it'll help you to remember these three pointers know yourself be sure of your intentions the motives behind what you're doing and saying find the truth test it in the light of past experience and by checking in every way you can and express the truth make sure you say what you mean to say and make sure your meaning is clear to your listeners now Bob tell us the truth what really happened well as for that fancy pen I'd wanted just such a pen for a long time and I bought it with money my aunt gave me for my birthday and as for what happened in the locker room well it was this way as soon as I finished dressing I headed out into the gym then I remembered something and came back I looked around for Ben but he wasn't there so I went to his locker you see Ben had been doing sound effects for the school radio program that morning and he had bowed something we'd need in practice that's all honest [Music]