On Misusing a Reputation – Sunday, March 26, 1950
Some people acquire such reputations that others place implicit confidence in them. Well-known names, for example, are often accepted at face value—which fact sometimes leads to the misuse of names and reputations in one way or another, such as the practice of purchasing opinions for the purpose of influencing others; such as permitting one’s name to be used for purposes concerning which one knows little or nothing; such as permitting words to be put into one’s mouth, purely for a price. Names have high value—especially names which are favorably known. And having made a good name, having acquired a respected reputation, certainly it would seem to be legitimate for a person to place the weight of his influence behind any honest venture of which he has firsthand knowledge and sincere convictions, any venture which is as represented, and which would be of benefit to those who are persuaded to participate. But merely to sell a name for a price without personal knowledge of the purpose, or without regard to accuracy of information, or without earnestly assuring one’s self of the effects on those who are being influenced, would certainly seem to be a flagrant abuse. If a man’s name is worth a price because of the confidence his friends or his fellow men have in him, it is surely worth an equal or greater price for him to see that no one is improperly influenced by the use or misuse of his good name among men. And surely every honest individual would want to do all he could to see that his name is never used or misused to mislead other men. A respected name, a reputation for reliability are possessions of high value and of great trust, and to misuse them, or to consent to the misuse of them by others, is a betrayal of trust.
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March 26, 1950
Broadcast Number 1,075