I recently had the very good fortune of spending some time soaking up the sun in Maui during Christmas vacation. If you have never been, I highly recommend it. Visiting during the winter when its rainly and cold in the northwest is especially nice. We enjoyed sunny days and 80 degree weather the entire time.
While we were there, I decided to book us a dinner at a luau. The woman selling me the tickets told me that if I were to say my kids were both 5 and under, they could both go for free. I said, “No that’s OK. My son is 7 and my daughter is 5. I’m happy to pay the price for him at $49.” I did think it was a bit spendy for a child’s dinner, but really we were paying for the experience. I told her I was happy to pay whatever we owed. She asked me three more times if I wanted to consider my children younger than they were so that I could get a discount. Everytime I said, “No that’s OK. I’ll pay what I am supposed to pay.”
She smiled and said, “Well aren’t you a nice.” I appreciate that this woman wanted to get me a good deal. But she didn’t seem to understand that for me this is an issue of personal integrity. She seemed shocked that I wouldn’t concede. I could see how some people might eventually give in to her pressure to lie. Would you be willing to lie to save $49? Would you be willing to compromise a lifetime of protecting your good name to save a few bucks?