Are We Becoming a Society That Hates Failure More Than Dishonesty?

By: Mashunhor Mawon

1st Semester, BA Political Science

St Joseph’s College, Ukhrul, Manipur

What If Losing Is Worse Than Lying?

I sometimes wonder about our society. Are we becoming people who hate failure more than dishonesty?

From childhood, we are told to be honest. Our parents and teachers tell us not to lie and not to cheat. But when we grow up, we see many different things around us. People who are successful are often respected. People who fail are sometimes laughed at or forgotten.

A person may work very hard and still fail. Another person may cheat and become successful. Who gets more respect? Sometimes, sadly, it is the second person.

Today everyone wants to win. Students want high marks. Young people want good jobs. Adults want money and a good position. There is nothing wrong with wanting a good life. But sometimes we want success so badly that we forget what is right and what is wrong.

Life is also not the same for everyone. Some children have everything they need. Others come from families where parents work from morning to night just to pay school fees and buy books. When someone fails, we do not always ask what problems they faced. We may simply call them weak or unsuccessful.

Social media makes this pressure even bigger. When we open Instagram, we see people’s best moments. We see nice clothes, cars, holidays, awards and happy photographs. We do not see all their problems.

Sometimes we look at these things and think, “Everyone is doing well except me.” People can then become afraid of showing their real lives. They may hide their failures or pretend to be more successful than they really are.

The Honest Person Is Sometimes Treated Like a Fool

There is a strange hypocrisy in our society. We tell children to be honest and hardworking. We give speeches about values. We tell people to do what is right.

But when people grow up, money, power and position can sometimes become more important than honesty.

Today, there are rich people in our society who speak loudly about justice, values and human rights. These are good things to talk about. But sometimes I also have a simple question: How did some people become so rich in only a few years?

I am not saying that every rich person is dishonest. Many people become successful through honest hard work. But when there are real questions about someone’s wealth, why are we sometimes afraid to ask?

Some people can easily send their children to foreign countries for education. At the same time, many parents work day and night just to send their children to school and college. Some parents struggle to pay fees and buy books.

So sometimes I wonder, why do we question a poor person’s failure so quickly but sometimes remain quiet about a rich person’s sudden success?

This is a difficult thing to say, but sometimes society does not hate the lie as much as it hates the loser.

We praise honesty when we give speeches. But when success is standing in front of us, we sometimes forget the same values.

My Father Fights the Enemy at the Border. What About the Enemy Within?

My father works as a soldier in the Indian Army. He stands at the border and protects our country from the enemy. I feel very proud of him.

But sometimes I think about one thing.

My father fights the enemy at the border, but who will fight the enemy inside our society?

The enemy inside may not carry a gun. It can be people who cheat others, make other people cry or use people for their own ambition.

It can also be lying, greed, corruption and selfishness.

These things can hurt many people. Sometimes a person may use another person to become successful and then forget them when they are no longer useful.

Our college teaches us to respect others, be honest and do what is right. It also teaches us to stand upright without fear when we know something is wrong.

I think these are very important lessons.

Our soldiers protect us from enemies outside the country. We must also try to stop the wrong things that hurt people inside our society.

A Win Is Not a Win If We Cheat

We can see this problem in politics too. Sometimes politicians do not want to admit that they have made a mistake. They may be afraid that people will think they have failed.

Sometimes ordinary people also defend politicians even when they know something is wrong. They do this because they support a particular party or group.

But if we only want our side to win, what happens to the truth?

Students also understand the fear of failure. Many students are afraid of getting low marks. Because of this fear, some may cheat in examinations or copy their work.

But what is better? Getting a high mark by cheating or getting a low mark honestly?

I think an honest low mark is better. At least we know where we need to improve.

Failure is not always a bad thing. A person can fail today and try again tomorrow. A student can fail an examination and work harder next time. A person can start a business, fail and learn from the experience.

If we keep laughing at people who fail, they may become afraid to try.

Sometimes I think we are funny people. We know very well that one day we are all going to die, but still we spend so much of our lives trying to prove that we are better than everyone else.

We fight for money. We fight for power. We worry about our position and what other people think about us. Sometimes people even hurt others just to get ahead.

But we cannot take our money, position or popularity with us forever.

So what is the point of winning everything if we lose our honesty and our humanity on the way?

I think we should change the way we look at failure. A person who fails is not a bad person. A student who gets low marks is not useless. A person whose business fails is not a loser forever.

They can try again.

But if someone cheats others to become successful, we should not admire them only because they have money or power. We should also look at how they achieved their success.

In the end, I believe in one simple thing.

A win is not really a win unless it is achieved honestly.

Getting high marks by cheating is not true success. Becoming rich by cheating people is not something to be proud of. Winning an argument by telling lies does not make us right.

Real success is not only about reaching the top. It is also about how we reached there.

Maybe we should stop asking only, “Who won?”

We should also ask, “How did they win?”

Because if we lose our honesty just to win, then maybe we have already lost something much more important.