“One great error is that we suppose mankind to be more honest than they are.” -Alexander Hamilton.

Honesty can be a double-edged sword: It can either enlighten or destroy & to an uncynical individual, it will devastate their spirit. As I get older and expand my horizon with knowledge, I have realized society, people, friends, and family, don’t thynk or see the world as I, Alas. The error I made as a young optimist was to believe we are all seeking truth in dire need of honesty but, we are all cunning rational human beings; and the higher you go in the chain of the human-animal kingdom, honesty becomes a scarce commodity.

Here’s a thought, should I expect more ‘honesty’ than already being ‘provided’ from governments, corporations, institutions, even my neighbor Billy jean? To the cynic, of course not, all men are corrupt, there is nothing good in them, mistrust is everywhere. But, to an optimist like this Pynk Elephant, I believe it comes down to understanding patterns, schemes, or agendas being obliged upon society. Researching, studying, comprehending, and asking the right questions can lead to honest answers.

Honesty is not for all, and this I am aware. Some human beings enjoy living fictional realities created by films, novels, even the distorted reality they have imagined (anyone recalls Steve Jobs?). But, to inquire one to be ‘more’ honest, poop, it’s asking for a flawless, perfect rational being who does not omit anything.

Honesty, as mentioned, is a scarce commodity, and in time, honesty reveals itself. As the growing division among the red elephants & blue jackasses due to the unconstitutional mandates, corporations like tigers ripping to pieces small businesses under the ‘pandemic’; and experiments being conducted throughout the world, well, ‘the great error’ is to believe those in power can be ‘more honest’ than they are. This can lead many to heartbreaks, loss of wealth, and even to certain extremes, suicide.

Have we forgotten the Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff?¹ Enron’s fraud?²Volkswagen Emission scandal?³ The US Syphilis experiment in Tuskegee 1932,⁴ then in Guatemala in 1946-48?⁵ These few examples are of entities, individuals who were “honest” to the public but later exposed as dishonest creatures. Did the people ‘error’ in expecting more ‘honesty’ from them? It’s difficult to pass judgment on appearances when one does not have the facts beforehand, but as usual, examples give us the guidance to see patterns, schemes, agendas to make an educational guess, to instruct us towards honest conclusions for future endeavors, ventures, etc. these examples are not equal to the many, many more in the world that have defrauded many people, removed others from their civil liberties, or caused harm or death. one must ask, seek, and they shall find a plethora of other examples.

The heart of a Pynk Elephant is to enjoy drinking from the cup of curiosity, to avoid the herd of common knowledge in the hope of finding the truth.  Love, religion, politics, art, wine, cigars to marijuana, or even sex; curiosity must always be present when one is requesting to dance with truth. To expect more is to trust impulsively and to believe our fellow neighbors, or those in power, desire the best for us,  leading to “the great error” Alexander Hamilton speaks about.

If honesty is what one seeks, then one has to be wise, prudent to Thynk Pynk. and to Thynk Pynk, well, that requires you to be a Pynk Elephant. And that my fellow thynker, will take courage to stand against the herd of elephants drinking from the common well of knowledge.

THYNK PYNK!

 

Endnotes:

1. Yang, Stephanie, Kay, Grace, ‘Bernie Madoff died in prison after carrying out the largest Ponzi scheme in history- here’s how it worked’, Insider, New York, Business Insider, Yang, Stephanie, Kay, Grace, 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/how-bernie-madoffs-ponzi-scheme-worked-2014-7 (accessed 10/10/21).
2. Curwen, Lesley, ‘The collapse of Enron and the dark side of business’, BBC, London, BBC Business, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58026162 (accessed 10/10/21).
3. Jacobs, Daniel, Kalbers, Lawrence P., ‘The Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal and Accountability: Where were the auditors and attorneys during the sustainability Charade?’, Cpajournal, New York, The New York State Society of CPAs, 2019, https://www.cpajournal.com/2019/07/22/9187/ (accessed 10/10/21).
4. Nix, Elizabeth, ‘Tuskegee experiment: the infamous syphilis study’, History, New York, History Channel, 2021, https://www.history.com/news/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study (accessed 10/10/21).
5. Subramanian, Sushma, Worse than Tuskegee, Slate, New York, Slategroup, 2017, http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/cover_story/2017/02/guatemala_syphilis_experiments_worse_than_tuskegee.html(accessed 10/10/21).