The Portrait of an Honest Man

Curious about how differently people perceived virtue, Akbar asked his assembled courtiers to describe, in detail, exactly what an honest man looked like — his bearing, his expression, his manner. One courtier described a stern, unsmiling face, insisting honesty always looked severe. Another described elaborate simple robes, insisting true honesty always dressed humbly. A third described a man who spoke rarely, insisting honest men said little.

Akbar noticed, with quiet amusement, that each description sounded suspiciously close to how the courtier describing it saw himself.

When it was Birbal's turn, he simply said: "Your Majesty, I cannot describe an honest man's appearance, because honesty has no particular face, no particular robe, no particular manner of speech. I have met honest men who laughed loudly and dressed richly, and dishonest men who wore the humblest robes and never smiled. The only true way to recognize honesty is not by looking, but by watching what a person does when they believe no one is watching at all." Akbar, struck by the wisdom of an answer that described no face but the truth itself, remarked that Birbal alone had answered the actual question rather than simply describing himself.