The importance of being honest

» Why your word should be your bond, if it isn’t already

Alex Stanton Staff Writer

[ere being a young kid trying to all but extort my parents for whatever I needed— be it a toy, a twist cone from McDonald’s, or a new Nintendo game. One of the foolproof ways to get what you want at that age is to ask for something in advance, and then ask them to promise; generally, grown-ups have too much on their minds to think too far ahead. So, you've got a promise. Only they usually denied that they ever promised anything in the first place.

Still, as I used to say, “a promise is a promise.”

That is to say, I used to say it, but I also still say it. Because if you're going to be a mature, functional adult—particularly if

important stuff.

Today, the way we socialize is becoming irrevocably altered by technology, and stuff that’s said is also underrated.

One of the single most absurd ways to signal to another person that you're trustworthy is to swear on someone’s grave. Sit down

: and think about it for a bit and

: you'll see that it’s obnoxious. It’s a : superfluous way to say “you've got : my word, homie,” and whatever

: trust is being placed in you is in

: no way as important as your late

: grandmother.

If you're trying to establish

: trust with me and you mention

: swearing on someone's grave, I'm : going to trust you a hell of a lot

: less. But, if you pull through for

: me, at least you can say youre

: more respectable than the many : people who spew out the word

: “promise” in a way that’s only

: slightly more meaningful than

: spewing out last night’s Fireball.

The meaning behind the

: word “promise” is not to be taken : lightly. The men and women who : end up achieving the most respect : : from their peers are the ones who : see their word as their bond. The you care about your career—this is !

ones who say “I promise to do

: something,” and then actually do : it. You can't be told something

: in confidence, go out and tell

: a bunch of people, and expect

: people to place their faith in

: you. Ifyou make any number of

: promises to people who trust you : and you don’t follow through,

: you are quite simply the single

Image from Thinkstock

: most useless, weak type of human : being—one who's unreliable and : untrustworthy.

If this sounds like you, I'd say

: a good start wouldn't be to follow

: the plot of My Name is Earl and

: try to right all your past wrongs.

: Baby steps, to me, would involve

: not making promises unless you

: are certain you can accomplish the : task. All it takes to get yourself out : of possible deep shit in the future

: is to change a couple of words in a : sentence. I respect someone who

: says, “I can’t promise anything,

: but I'll do my best” way more

: than someone who uses the word

: so much it becomes devoid of

: meaning.

There might be situations

: in the professional world where

you have to step over someone’s

: corpse, and that’s fine. Donald

: Trump didn’ get rich by opening : orphanages and curing cancer.

: But I would say in general that,

: even with social media turning

: millennials into unapologetic

: flakes, it should be considered

: socially unacceptable to give

: someone your word and screw

: them over.

Your word is your bond.

F

O'it’s nota big deal’ Canada

Photo via AP / Petr David Josek

» Russians walk off the ice, Canadians

should shake it off

Elliot Chan

.. Opinions Editor © opinions @theotherpress.ca

W: won. They acted like poor sports—or as they put it, they made a “mistake.” After the annual World Hockey Championship, with the Canadians beating the Russians 6-1, the majority of the losing team skated off the ice as “O Canada” began to play. Whether it was an act of disappointment, bad sportsmanship, or political displeasure, it didn’t look good for the organization and the individual players. Still, there is nothing more awful than being forced to watch someone else celebrate, especially after getting plastered.

not at the international level, but still competitively—and I know

hands, I’ve congratulated them, and now you want me to stand

national song? We lost. Let me leave. What more do you want? I get it. There is a patriotic

is why the Olympics and World Cups are so popular. But we don’t need the opposition to look sad while our song plays. Generally

: speaking, 'm nota big fan of

: national anthems at sporting

: events altogether. I’ve heard “O

: Canada” and “The Star-Spangled : Banner” so many times they’ve

: lost all meaning.

The act made the team

: look like they had “no class” as

: Don Cherry would say. We all

: know what type of player Ilya

: Kovalchuk is, and the fact that he : led the way was no surprise. But : let’s not forget about the players : that stayed on the ice, including : superstars Alexander Ovechkin : and Evgeni Malkin. Hockey is a : team sport, but sportsmanship

: is an individual game. If you are : going to punish anyone, punish : the players individually, not the : whole organization.

Then again, what punishment

would fit, especially during this : heated tumultuous time between

[have played hockey games— North America and Russia?

: Hockey may be the glue that : keeps people together, but it is

how it feels to want something and not _ Band-Aid cr international then have someone beat you for it. problems. Punish players, but Fuck them, right? I’ve shaken their : — > . : It'd bea shame to see Russia

: banned from the tournament next patiently while they sing their silly : year. It w ould bea shame if'we

: couldn't beat them again next year.

don't punish the game of hockey.

For now, I’m happy giving the

: Russians the benefit of a doubt. In aspect to international sports; that ! the heat of the moment, people do : things that are in poor taste, but

: in the long run, nobody was hurt.

: So whatever, our national anthem

: wasn't for them anyways.

Lend a hand and a liver

» Celebrity status is fair game in organ donat

Elliot Chan Opinions Editor is M4 opinions @theotherpress.ca

| ow can you tell whether or not the world cares for you?

You know when people are willing : : internal organ is in many ways

: taboo—shameless even—but

: realistically there is no shame in : wanting to stay alive. With one

: in three people dying during the : donor-waiting process, time wasa : : luxury he didn't have.

to band together and offer a critical part of themselves to keep you alive.

When the owner of the Ottawa Senators, Eugene Melnyk, was diagnosed with liver complications and needed a new one to survive, he and his supporters reached out to the public. Crowd sourcing for an

7s

*

Eugene Melnyk

The criticism was that

Melnyk used his celebrity status : to leapfrog other candidates

Photo via Sean Kilpatrick

10n

: awaiting transplants. Such : : behaviour was unethical. But how : : can you blame a dying man for

: using what he had created his

: whole life—his status—to stay

: alive. Placed in the same life-or- : : death situation, you would do the : : same. You should do the same.

The matter was that Melnyk

: was never a part of the general

: waiting list. He created his own : list from people who would have : otherwise not have become

: donors. Five hundred people

: process, donating their organs to

someone else in need. It was not

I don't believe any person

: is more deserving of life than : anyone else. But if I were

: diagnosed with any organ : : complication and needed a donor, : : I would like to think that I would ! : do more than wait patiently. I : : would pull out your liver and use

: came out of the woodwork to save : : this man. Only one volunteer : was needed, but more than 20 : said they would continue the

it as my own if I could. I would

: pull out your liver and give it to : someone I love ifI could. Weare : : designed to care about those who :

: are most close to us and those

: who have influenced us positively. : Melnyk’s intention, but for a small : : moment he was able to place the : spotlight on an often-forgettable : circumstance.

It’s not that we idolize or worship

: these people, it’s because they

: matter to us. Let it be our way of : thanking them for enriching our : lives.

Thinking of asking for such

: an important aspect of someone’s : life—an organ—to stay alive

really makes me rethink the way I treat those I love around me. Should I become ill, will I receive such an outpouring of love? Will 500 volunteers come forward to save me? Will they for you? Then

pause, really ponder, and ask

yourself: why wouldn't they?