What can honest business bring?

Author: Cui Shengxiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: When everyone around you thinks you are a trustworthy person, you are close to success. When we do something, reputation can be extremely important. Reputation is an intangible force, an infinite wealth. — Matsushita Konosuke
If you are known for being cautious and honest, then an investment of six pounds can bring you a return of one hundred pounds. — Benjamin Franklin
For merchants, reputation is as important as water is to fish. Among the time-honored brands that have been passed down for centuries, there are always a few stories about "integrity." In fact, throughout Chinese history, "trustworthiness" has been regarded as the foundation of being a person and the basis of standing upright, not just in the business world.
To be honest and act with integrity is the foundation of achieving great things. Integrity can bring you lifelong wealth. A trustworthy person has immense charisma, and the power they generate can turn the impossible into the possible. With the principle of "No matter how harsh the environment, as long as you act genuinely and uphold reputation as your foundation," you can successfully create miracles.
However, being trustworthy does not mean being a "nice person" who avoids offending anyone, nor does it mean being a "naive person" who submits to adversity, nor does it mean being a rigid, uninspired, and lackluster individual. When sincerity goes too far, to the point where it ignores time, conditions, occasions, people, and specific situations, it becomes wrong. Sometimes, this mistake can even be fatal.
Excessive honesty often stems from a simplistic understanding of society, which lacks maturity and cannot adapt to complex business competition and interpersonal relationships. To be knowledgeable, integrity is not a blind impulse, nor is it cheap sympathy or charity, but rather a rational elevation.
It is important to be a kind-hearted and honest person, but it is even more important to be a smart and honest person.