Honesty is always the best policy???

From the early childhood a student is been taught that honesty is always the best policy. And we think it blindly that, yeah, it is the best policy. But what if someone comes to you one day and tells you that honesty is not always the best policy? Well, then i am telling you the same, 'HONESTY IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST POLICY'. Confused? Here is a story, that might help you:

Once, Teja was walking back to his home from his school. On a round-about, he stopped by a mango tree and tried to pluck mangoes from the mango trees. He then sat beneath the tree and enjoyed his mango. Suddenly, he saw a rabbit rushing by. He had never seen a rabbit running so fast. He was confused. He didn't payed much attention to it and continued enjoying the mango. Then came two poachers with their rifles. He was a bit scared thinking that they might kill him, but instead they asked him which way the rabbit has gone. By now, Teja came to know that they were poachers and wanted to kill the rabbit. He knew the right way but was confused whether to tell them the right way, and let them kill the rabbit or to tell them the wrong way, so that the poachers get angry and kill him.

By now, you must have understood why honesty is not always the best policy. We just can't speak the truth blindly. We need to think for the collective good. So, what should we do then? I would suggest you to take the path, which Teja took:

Confused Teja knew he has to act quickly and think of something. He couldn't tell them the right way, neither he could tell them the wrong way. Then suddenly, Teja thought of a way. He told them "I didn't saw anything, I just came here, I don't know anything". He neither took the right way, he neither took the wrong way, he took the middle way.

That's what you should do. When you see that there is no collective good by speaking the truth, then you shouldn't. As M.K. Gandhi said "For a good cause, a lie isn't". But remember one thing, I am not telling you that 'honesty is not the best policy' instead i am telling you that 'honestly is not always the best policy'. So, next time don't speak the truth blindly.