Truth is basic to honesty, yet we live in a culture where truth is often in short supply. We have institutionalized deceit in our culture. From those in positions of authority, influence, or leadership across institutions at every level of society to mass media and social media, lying is an all too common form of expression. If there is no stigma attached to lying what does that say about the value of honesty in our society? To an impressionable observer like a young person, it appears honesty is for suckers.

How are young people to learn the value of honesty when pop-culture and political correctness condone parsing, shading, spinning, twisting or ignoring truth as an accepted form of discourse? It starts with parents who expect kids to tell the truth and have the courage to expose deceit wherever they find it. Young people navigating a world influenced by AI, need critical thinking to value truth and recognize it when they see it. Where do they gain that skill? School? Not on the curriculum.

It helps if kids have heroes and role models who reinforce the value of honesty. For many of us who grew up in the fifties and sixties our heroes were cowboys. They practiced a code of conduct that became quintessentially American. We revered and respected heroes who told the truth and stood for honorable values. Who are the heroes our young people look up to today? Rock stars? Super star athletes? Cartoon characters? Video game actors? What code of conduct do these heroes stand for? Chances are when you catalog a kid’s heroes today, you won’t find a cowboy among them. Too bad. Values like telling the truth and honesty are timeless.

Popular culture comes and popular culture goes, but the cowboy way of doing things never goes out of style. There’s a little cowboy in all of us. The cowboy code helps us find it.
1. Cowboys Tell the Truth

Next Week: A Cowboy’s Word is a Bond
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Ride easy,
Paul