Teaching sincerity | Bangkok Post: learning

Teaching with HEART

A sincere individual values himself, takes the tasks assigned seriously and seeks ways to execute his or her responsibilities with utmost diligence and perfection.

Sincere people are increasingly entrusted with greater responsibilities and are more likely to succeed in life. Employers are constantly on the search for sincere workers, and men and women often seek to find sincere companions to share their lives with. Teachers feel more motivated and encouraged by sincere learners, and people try to be sincere to their inner selves, which helps to avoid cognitive dissonance.

It pays to be sincere

It is when an individual chooses the path of insincerity that he or she exhibits the characteristics that communicate the "I don't care" attitude. This attitude is the main reason for failing at school, work or home.

Considering the aforementioned line of reasoning, it is worth teaching sincerity more deliberately at home and school. Lessons on sincerity address the psychological well-being of students as well as increase their chances of success in the future. Developing sincere students would mean that the schools and home join hands to create likeable individuals who would attract others and success into their lives.

Defining sincerity

Sincerity is defined as being "real" inside and out. Since our actions and words reflect inner feelings, a healthy personality would require that the former is in sync with the latter. In other words, what one does or says must be in harmony with how one feels. A sincere person always allows his inner feelings to be mirrored in his interactions with the outside world.

Innate tendency

Children are naturally sincere. However, as time passes, children learn insincerity from adults. As a result, children learn early in life that it pays to fake behaviours, feelings and experiences. They become so good at it that they fake sickness (eg, psychosomatic illness) to avoid school or to have grades changed in the report card.

How to teach it

According to Dr Helaine Sheias, executive director of the Life Empowerment Action Programme in the San Francisco Bay area, "teaching sincerity means helping and guiding children to develop their innate ability to simply be real and be themselves in relationships with others and themselves".

Regularly reinforcing, rewarding and celebrating sincerity in action (at home and at school), narrating stories about sincere people, discussing their successes and modelling sincerity are examples of ways to (re)teach this valuable quality to children. Displaying quotes such as "It is those who are true to themselves and others who overcome the challenges of life" at strategic locations at home and at school would also help.

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