‘THE MAN YOU CAN TRUST’

The man you can trust is the man who is simple, direct and sincere. When he undertakes a responsible task, he is fully and deeply conscious of his responsibility. He is intent on fairness and justice to all, even to those who oppose him. To him, the insincerity of the demagogue is as dishonest as the trickery of the con man or the embezzler. To him, honour is dearer than power, and a clear conscience more precious that wealth or fame. He is suspicious of mere brilliance and he is not easily fascinated by the plausibility of quacks, or misled by the enthusiasm of cranks, for good judgment, good character and ripe experience are what he most respects. He does not waver like a leaf in the winds of popular approval or disapproval. When he makes a pledge he can be relied upon to keep it, at whatever cost to himself, for he acts on principles of right or wrong, not on the inconvenience or expediency of the moment. He is not all things to all men. When he says yes, he means yes and when he says no, he means no. In short, the man you can trust, in the long run, is not necessarily the clever man or the charming man, but the man who keeps his word.

(Source unknown)

John Lentell

11th June, 1969