I noticed that in a recent scandal, this one involving the university admission cheating; one of the persons that was discussed as having benefited from parental cheating had, in a bio, written, "I have a strong moral compass." We don't know enough to know if this person was aware of the extent of the cheating performed by the parent... or if there was personal culpability.

But I do think about that statement. It reminds me of the recently divorced person who, upon looking at potential matches online, said- "Everyone says they are better looking than they actually are." And maybe the same goes for morality. Honor is one of those things that we tend to have a difficult time defining in relationship to ourselves but we seem to be very quick to describe it in others.

If we are to interpret this question as dealing to any one person or a political party in general I don't want to say anything other than this: It would be nice if we could be able to look at situations and assess without first finding a culprit. It would be nice to govern ourselves by looking at issues on their own merit and less so on a party platform. Neither party is devoid of skeletons in the closet.

I know, that ship seems to have sailed already. But I do have pride that we've been down difficult paths many times in the history of this country (USA) and have seemed to be able to find our way back. Many countries can say the same thing. We've all seen some major wrongs. We've seen some of those wrongs be condemned for their atrocity. Never perfectly but the majority can turn on some things eventually.

So, maybe I'm naively hopeful that we'll find our way to a rediscovery of honor. Honor in business. Honor in how we treat each other. I was going to say honor in politics... but I'll need more time on that one. :-)

I have always honored my debts. 

And Jesus hung out with hookers. LOL

A man and his whole being is dependent on what comes not only out of his mouth but his heart and the most valued source THE SOUL. This should be preserved at all costs up to and including death. Easier said than done and supernatural help is needed. As to what we do in business, all is allowed and like any high stakes attracts predators, vultures, opportunists while at the same time tempting all players to their endurance. I support second chances and bankruptcy is certainly a start-over fresh dynamic and is legal as well as necessary when swimming with the piranha. The best thing to ever happen to this country was to elect a businessman. If the USA operated on business principals we would have paradise on Earth methinks

I have always honored my obligations. Many have not. Those who cannot should be given consideration. Those who can should be obligated to do so. Our bankruptcy laws allow too many to hide assets until their obligations are discharged.

I'm going to comment based on the headline rather than the body of this question.  Although I do pay my debts too.  More importantly, I am a person of honor in everything I do.  I actually got in a fight with a friend recently because she said she was going to go to an event, and then bailed at the last minute.  If I say I will do something, I do it!!! I have no problem saying no, but if I commit, I commit 100%

Sorry Bob Crane , I'm not in agreement with you on this one.

Personally, in my own life, I am absolutely a person of my word. If I say it, I do it.

I think if someone has a debt, it needs to be paid if at all possible. If they don't pay it, the person who is owed suffers which is not okay. That being said, if there is a true emergency or difficulty with no way around it, then that's a different story. Sometimes people truly CAN'T pay their debts.

It's the ones that just don't want to that I don't understand. 

Or the ones who have a huge debt and keep adding to it (not because they HAVE to but because they don't really care). I don't get that either.

My business as a mortgage broker is all about trust. Gaining a person’s trust and respect takes time and just a second to loose it. If you can’t trust a person’s word, what good are they? That includes any obligations you make.

Many do a short sale, or a bankruptcy simply for financial gain. Banks and lenders should not have to suffer because your house is now worth less than what you bought it for. People signed up for that obligation, so do the honorable thing and pay what you agreed to. You do it when you buy a car. A house is no different.

Yes to the question.

Someday someone will have to pay the piper for the music, hopefully, it is not at a great expense.

I always have.  There have been times when it was a struggle. High medical bills while fighting cancer - sole provider for myself and small business owner. 
People fall on hard times. I saw that with many people who had to short sell their home.  It was not designed that way. Things out of their control happened and they had no other choice when they could find work after being laid off ... horrible times for so many and it lead many to financial disaster. Short sales, foreclosures, and bankruptcies.  Solutions were available for those people.  It is not up to me to judge their lives or decisions. 

Why do ask us, when it seems that your beef is with someone else?  I only focus on dealing with honorable people, and I have no time to keep pointing fingers at anyone else. 

We already have so much hate being spewed on both sides, we are disgusted, completed disgusted.  In my opinion, this is not a real related estate subject .  It is a subject for those interested in the spewing of hate and slime on both sides.  Sorry Bob, politics is not appropriate here.  Just my opinion.  A

PS We do honor our obligations...A

I am one who believes in paying one's debts off each month (minus the mortgage of course, that is over a much longer period).  We should have balanced the budget decades ago and reduced spending to take that debt under control... but then again I'm sitting in my house second guessing the economic strategy of the last several Presidents since Daddy Bush.

Defaulting on the debt would not be good, since the debt is to some big countries like China and Russia as well as the people of these great United States.

As I said on Ken's question, some other countries have gone down this road already, Greece most notably, and it did not work out well for them.

We honor our commitments and promises to an extreme

Interesting question...

No trust  - no business.

"Do these jeans make me look fat?"

Everybody lies.

IN a polite society, like that in the USA, it is perceived to be rude to say no or hang up the phone. As a consequence "Sure" in response to will you there to help us pack Mildred and move her to the retirement condo, is a polite NO. That is how America says NO.

And this same politeness brings us distress with telephone solicitors.

And BANKRUPTCY is a LEGAL tool available to businesses to manage their debt. One can CHOOSE to not use this tool just as one can CHOOSE to take no deductions on their income tax filings. Both are neither right or wrong but merely an available choice.

"Do you think business can survive if we lose this trust?" That's a cosmic question, but I think folks will still need places to live,  products to consume, things to make, people to sell them. However, we can all do well to return the the tradition of few words and let your yes be yes and your no be no. 

I always try to honor all commitments. I'm not perfect ... I am not anyone's judge.

Bob, my company and my life are all based on trust and honesty. I work as unto the Lord in all that I do, which means I give 100% 100% of the time. And I sleep really well. 

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto!!!

It is a good business practice to honor obligations.

I like to say I am always a man of honor but we all slip ones in a while.

Something about casting the first stone comes to mind.

Yes.