Does It Pay to Be Honest With and About Money?

Does it pay to be honest with and about money? If it does, does it pay more than it would if one weren’t honest? Is it stupid to be honest in situations which give the option not to be honest with money? Will the last 2 paragraphs give you a valuable insight? What would you do in a situation like the one described here?

One day 
I was depositing cash into an ATM. Nobody was around. I put the money in a depositing envelope, sealed the envelope, and held it ready for depositing. Then I inserted my card and waited for the prompt for a PIN. The prompt did not come and the ATM returned the card. The intuition instantly told me that something was strange, because the ATM was in service. The next question was why the ATM returned the card.

When inserting the card I didn’t look past the card slot, because I needed to look at the slot. But then I looked down – and there was the answer. The cash dispensing slot was flashing. Then I noticed that it was open and had cash in it. I grabbed the cash and counted CAD$100 in 5 20-dollar bills. I folded the money and held it in my hand. The ATM returned to operation and I proceeded with the deposit.

Should I be honest with the money?
I pondered what to do with the 100 dollars. Take it and celebrate? But that wouldn’t be right – and what if someone would see and challenge me? Give it to the bank clerk at the pavilion to which the ATM was adjacent? He’d most probably thank me with a smile and put it in his pocket as soon as I’d get out of sight. Either way, this cash would never get to whoever forgot it there. Or what else? Was there another option?

All this was going through my mind while I was depositing my money. When I finished depositing, I slowly turned around to leave. A woman who stood behind me proceeded to the ATM and started doing her banking. I observed her for a while, but it became clear that she wouldn’t be the one who had forgotten the money in the ATM slot. So I stood there and looked around for another while secretly wishing that something would happen…

…and at that moment
a woman appeared from an unknown direction and asked me: “Hi, I know this is a silly question, but have you seen some cash here?” She looked like an average honest citizen who was slightly distressed, yet had 90% given up on the idea of seeing the 100 dollars again. I had the option to tell her I hadn’t seen it. But the intuition told me to be honest and I said: “How much was it?” She told me the correct sum and I said “Yes! I have it in my hand!” I opened my palm and showed her the money.

Her face lit up and she exclaimed: “YOU are the MOST HONEST person in the world!” I stood there and thought ‘well, thanks for the compliment, but let’s see whether you are the most honest person in the world!’. I asked her whether she wouldn’t mind going to the bank clerk at the pavilion and confirm that she was the owner of the money. She agreed, the clerk confirmed her ownership, and I gave her the money with a smile. She took 20 dollars and offered them to me. I was so shocked that my immediate reaction was: “Are you kidding me?” She replied: “Come on! I asked you and you told me! I really appreciate it! Of course I’m not kidding. Take it!”.

The woman seemed to be so happy that the 20 dollars really wouldn’t have bothered her. So I took them, thanked her very much, and she was on the way, shouting from an escalator to the supermarket ‘You’re very welcome, honestly!”.

Be honest or have more money?
One situation which certainly gives the option not to be honest with and about money are travelexpenses of high end companions. if a high end companion charges travel expenses, she can tell any sum to the man who agrees to pay them when he hires her, After all, how many high end companions give you the option to see a receipt for their journeys to you? They all tell you a higher sum and put the difference between the told and the paid in their pocket.

I will always strongly advocate against greed and profiteering from the good souls who work hard to keep families and friendships with me! After all, these few select souls helped me to get where I am now. And I wouldn’t be where I am without their support and mainly trust. Trust is earned, not given, and he who gives it gives it at his peril. I’d rather be honest than have more money by being dishonest. What would you do? Tell me.