Talent and / or Honesty

My Friend Shridhar in Tiruchchy told me a story. There was a King, who had no son to continue his Lineage. So, he wanted to select and adopt a boy with right qualities. He asked his minister to conduct an Intelligence test and select hundred 'Most Intelligent' boys. He went to each one of them, talked to parents about the purpose of this test. The parents were delighted about the prospects of their son becoming the Prince and King in future. The King then handed over a seed and a pot to them and asked them to grow the plant in the given pot and come to the palace a year later. All the hundred boys reported at the Palace on the appointed date. All but one had well-grown, lush green plants in the pots. The king went around and inspected the pots and plants. The King finally asked the boy with empty pot to come forward and asked him the reason. He was sad and said, "I tried my best. Changed soil a few times, watered regularly but the seed never sprouted. I merely came to say sorry and return the pot". Many in the crowd heckled him saying, "Can't even grow a plant, but aspires to become the King". The King in his announcement named this boy as his heir. All were surprised. The King said, "I had given boiled and dried seeds to all, which could never have sprouted and grown as plants".

This is the greatest dilemma for all trusts and organizations, social, political, commercial, Religious, recreational. Talent and Honesty. Can these two co-exist? Should one expect both in the personnel in-charge of an organization? If one has to make a choice 'Talent or honesty' which should he opt for? The worse situation is when persons neither skilled nor honest, capture organizations. Such persons try to purchase and enslave talent with money and hide dishonesty again with money and power.