When in Doubt, Choose Honesty

A Young Developer’s Ethical Dilemma

Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life — all areas of life. The really good news is that anyone can develop both honesty and integrity.”

— Zig Ziglar

Let me start by saying that it is important to be honest in all your dealings with your fellow humans. As the saying goes, it is easier to be honest because it is so difficult to keep track of all your lies.

I have avoided telling this story publicly because of an irrational fear of reprisal. However, more than 25 years have passed since the events in this article, and I have taken care not to name names.

So, I think I will be fine.

This story is an excerpt from my book, Don’t Say That at Work (Affiliate link). The book contains a collection of mistakes I made throughout my software development career and advice on how to avoid making similar ones yourself. If you would like to read more like this, please consider the complete book. You can also follow me on X.

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