No Good Deed Goes Without Being Known and Punished!

A new year is upon us with all the expectations and unknowns that it entails. As we go into the new year, we must look inside ourselves to see how we shall face all the good and bad things that will arise during the year. If I asked each of you, I am sure you would say that no matter the circumstances, you would handle things with honesty and integrity. I have no doubt this would be your intention, but what might happen if there is a lot at stake?

There is a story of a successful businessman who was going to choose a successor to run his company. He developed an unusual plan by which to choose a successor. He called all the young executives together and announced that he was going to give each of them a special seed to plant and grow. In one year, they were to return with their plants for him to evaluate. After that, he would announce which of them would succeed him as head of the company. 

One of the young executives named Jim received his seed, took it home, and with his wife’s help planted his seed in the best soil they could find. They took exceptional care of the plant, but they did not see any growth. Jim was beginning to be concerned because some of the other executives were beginning to talk about how well their plants were growing. Weeks and months went by and Jim, despite taking good care of the plant, saw no growth. He just knew he had killed his seed. His concern was heightened because the other executives were talking about their large, flourishing plants.

Finally, the year had passed, and it was time to take his plant to the head of the company. He was sick to his stomach because he only had an empty pot and did not want to take that in. How embarrassing would that be? Jim’s wife convinced him that he should take the empty pot and just explain what had happened. Despite the embarrassment, he knew she was right.

The day came. He arrived at the room with his empty pot while all the others had large plants and flowers growing in theirs. Jim tried to hide in the back of the room. Despite his best efforts, the head of the company spotted Jim and brought him to the front of the room with his empty pot. He asked Jim what had happened to his seed. With his eyes focused on the floor he told his story. When he had finished, the head of the company told everyone but Jim to sit down. He then shook Jim’s hand and introduced him to everyone as the next head of the company!  

Jim and everyone else were amazed! He could not even grow a plant; how could he run a large, successful company? The head of the company went on to explain that the seeds he had given each executive were boiled — they were dead. There was no way they could grow. It was apparent that all those who grew plants had substituted other seeds for the ones they were given. Jim was the only one who had the courage and honesty to admit that he was unable to grow a dead seed! It has been said, “When you plant honesty, you will reap trust” (Bob Hudson). Because of these character attributes, he showed integrity needed to be the new head of the company

Baltasar Gracian once said, “A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity.” In “The Story of the Seed,” this was the lesson learned by those who chose not to tell the truth. As we enter a new year, I would hope that each of us will learn that we should face every issue that arises with truth and integrity. I believe that everyone would admit, in the long run, that is better than trying to explain the lie when it is inevitably uncovered.

Terry Treadwell, MD, FACS
Senior Clinical Editor, Wounds