Valuing Your Credibility: Lessons From the Story of Cassandra

In the days of Ancient Greece, when the Greek army was trying to destroy Troy, there lived a young woman called Cassandra. She was a special person. As well as being beautiful and one of the daughters of the king of Troy, she was an accomplished prophetess. Not surprisingly, such a combination of beauty, social status, and talent attracted the attention of a top executive in the prophesy trade. In this case, it was the god Apollo.

Apollo wanted to be her mentor. At least, he wanted her, since the Greek gods had some very sexist and macho notions about how to treat beautiful human maidens. She resisted. And when he got too pressing, she told a pack of lies as a way out.

Apollo was the god of truth.

Being pretty vindictive when he didn’t get his own way (not unlike many top executives today), and finding in her lies a way to wriggle out of facing his own bad behavior (ditto), Apollo placed a curse on Cassandra. From then on, every prophesy she made would be absolutely true . . . but no one would believe her. She would foresee every disaster—including the ruin of her city, her father’s death, and her own murder—and be helpless to warn people or prevent any of these things happening.

Valuing your credibility

That’s what happens when you resort to lying to get out of a tough situation. You forfeit your credibility and leave a route for others to weasel their way out of responsibility for their actions. Once the lie is discovered (and they nearly always are), no one will believe you again. Once you have acted dishonestly, other people will use it to hide behind.

Integrity seems a small thing, especially when times are tough and holding onto it promises nothing but misery and failure. Like the god Apollo, the people who rule over our working lives aren’t always fair or even ethical. Cassandra didn’t deserve to be faced with a demand to give sexual favors to the boss. Nor a choice between standing up for herself, and maybe suffering whatever rejected gods inflict on humans who refuse them, or lying to escape. It wasn’t a fair choice. It wasn’t right. But that’s the way the world is sometimes.

Hopefully none of you will ever have to face such a dreadful situation, but milder versions of the same dilemma are very frequent:

Taking the easy way out

It’s so tempting to tell a few minor lies and walk away from the problem. Maybe you’ll even get a pat on the back and be praised for saving the business a few dollars. And it will be so boring and inconvenient to stick by the truth and risk being disliked by colleagues and put under suspicion by those in power. Everybody does it. Right?

There’s always a price.

The myth of Cassandra is about that price. Greek myths may use gods as players, but they are always about entirely human choices. Apollo acted like the worst kind of sanctimonious, bullying boss. Cassandra responded as many of us might: she thought she had found an easy way out that didn’t involve confronting someone powerful, so she took it. But sometimes, as she discovered, you pay more for trying to lie your way of out a problem than you might have done for dealing with it head on.

Lessons from the story of Cassandra

The story of Cassandra offers several valuable lessons that still hold true today. Here are a few of them:

1. Honesty and integrity are vital in any situation.

Even if telling the truth is uncomfortable or inconvenient, it is always better than lying. Lying may seem like a quick and easy way out of a difficult situation, but it can have disastrous consequences later on.

2. Credibility is hard-won and easily lost.

Once you lose your credibility, it’s extremely difficult to regain it. It’s essential to be honest and forthright in all your dealings, so people can trust you and rely on you.

3. Confronting difficult situations is better than running away from them.

Trying to avoid or run away from problems only makes them worse. It’s better to confront difficulties head-on and deal with them as quickly and effectively as possible. This shows strength of character and earns respect from others.

4. Don’t compromise your values.

It’s essential to have a strong moral compass and stick to your principles, even in challenging situations. Compromising your values may seem like the easy way out, but it will cost you in the long run.

Conclusion

The story of Cassandra is an enduring myth that still holds valuable lessons for us today. It highlights the importance of honesty, integrity, and courage in the face of adversity. It’s essential to stay true to your values and beliefs, even when the going gets tough. By doing so, you’ll earn credibility and respect from others, and you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever challenges life throws your way.