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There are times in history when competition for jobs were hot. No, I can't name them off the top of my head. All I know is there was a shortage of opportunity and an overabundance of people who could and wanted to work.

I'm not certain people went to some of the lengths then that they do these days in order to gain the upper hand or the rare opportunity to get in the door to earn the dollars and have the security of a paycheck for an honest day's work well done. The one time period that comes to mind is the '30s Depression. Everyone was down and out. The suicide rate had dropped. But few people had more than the wish in their hearts. They put in their time, earned their bucks, then moved on to whatever the horizon held in store for them. Others put down roots. It was just a given that everyone needed a job and when some store had the dollars and the volume to justify it, they'd put a sign in the window that read:

HELP WANTED

All that was necessary was to go in the door, pick up the sign, say you wanted the job. You were hired on the spot and started that minute.

Today, however, jobs are scarce. But there's something else that's even more scarce. It's the civility that we as a people had back in the '30s. No, I wasn't around then. But I read. I wasn't around then. But I listened to the stories of those who were. I wasn't around then. But I paid attention to how those who were acted around me with others (whether young or old) and how they went about getting something for themselves.

There is a more graceful way of doing things than using duplicity in order to gain the upper hand. There is a more honest way of talking with people -- that tends to be more enduring. It's called honesty.

Some may call me naive. But it's proven itself time and time again. Each time the situation has been uncomfortable and there's little to no more wiggle room or space for negotiation, it's proven to be the best route to simply tell the truth. The person on the other side seems to understand. They seem to respect the honesty. They hear the genuine effort that has gone beforehand in order to fulfill requirements that simply could not be performed under the circumstances.

Some people don't seem to understand this honesty factor. They feel the only way they can win whatever it is they aspire to is by using whatever tactics they can. It doesn't matter that they may hurt many in the process. It doesn't seem to matter that they may lie or massage the truth to the point that it's something other than what it seems. The only thing that matters is the winning.

While these latter types may gain the upper hand in the short run, they do themselves long-term disservice. The truth of their devices is soon revealed. People remember. People resent. When faced with the prospect of dealing with the latter types in the future, the opportunity is turned aside to someone else.

While it may seem that the only way to survive is to be just as ruthless and unprincipled as a competitor, in the long run (and that's what really counts), it's best to be as honest as possible. Be creative. Be tactful and courteous. Be aggressive. Be aggressive when it counts. Be aggressive about meaningful things. It's best to be the best you can be in all manner of things. That is the key to surviving in a ruthless market.