20+ Situations Where People’s Honesty Reached Its Peak

We’re supposed to take all processes that involve money very seriously. We always try to accurately count change, carefully check receipts, and are in constant fear of losing our wallets. However, there are some people who bravely trust others and benefit greatly from it.

We at Bright Side believe that such heroes deserve to be mentioned because, with their deeds, they help us sustain our faith in humanity. In the bonus feature, we’ll show you how honest deeds can be extremely pleasant.

A flower counter somewhere in Munich. It has no seller, only an “honesty box.”

“My girlfriend lost her purse with her passport and way too much money in it. This dude found it, contacted her, and got it back to her with everything still in it! Thanks!”

Sometimes you get even more than you expected.

Flowers, fruits, and veggies for sale via an “honesty box” are quite a frequent thing in the rural parts of the UK.

“I was staying in a hotel in Germany. There was a fridge in the hall. Everyone could take anything they wanted. You only had to write down the price of all the products you took.”

Trust with a sweet taste

“So, I set this plant stand outside so that anyone could get a plant by leaving money in a secured honesty box. So far, more than a dozen plants have been taken and every single person has left change.”

A book store in Winchester with an “honesty” shelf of books outside

How “honesty box” training works

A “lost and found” at this hiking trailhead

In the Kaliningrad Region in Russia, they sell berries, veggies, and mushrooms on the side of the road. You just take the products and leave your money.

It’s not difficult to be an honest visitor.

“I lost my wallet. After an awful day at work, I found someone had mailed it back to me with nothing missing. Thank you to whoever you are!”

“Left my backpack (containing a laptop and important work) on a subway in NYC, chased a train through New York, and a stranger returned the backpack to my apartment from clues inside the bag.”

Not only is trust valuable, but it feels nice as well.

There are fields in Germany where people grow flowers. You pick as many as you want and put the money into the self-service cashbox. They even provide special knives for your convenience.

You can freely gather raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. in some fields in Germany. You just need to pay for the berries you gathered when leaving the field (by weight). Everything that you collect in your stomach is free.

When they not only trust your choice but your honesty too

A self-service bakery — you just need to leave the money for the bakery in the box.

In Norway, you can buy cherries, plums, strawberries, and raspberries on the side of the road. You just need to pay for it via a special mobile application.

“Cherries, 50 crowns”

“I was operating in about 15 feet of water and randomly found this phone. The SIM card still worked so I texted the owner and was able to mail it back to her.”

A community book exchange where anyone can trade one book for another

Honesty that delights

Bonus: stories from Internet users about how pleasant honesty can be

• Once, as I was getting out of my car on a winter evening in −22°F weather, I saw a glove in the snow. I picked it up and brought it to the concierge. It turned out that the glove was mine. It has been there for 3 days. © Olga Ivanova / Facebook

• Once, I was buying veggies and fruits from a street seller. I got quite a lot of them. The seller calculated everything, I took the bags, and left. After having taken about 5 steps, I turned around and asked the seller, “Why are you not saying to me that I haven’t paid you?” She replied, “I got confused.” I returned and paid for the purchase. © Gulnara Sultanova / Facebook

• When I was in Turkey, the bank exchanged my US dollars for the same rate as the euro. I noticed it and returned but they said that everything was correct. I stood there for a while and left the extra money together with the receipt and left. Several seconds later, one of their employees caught up with me and thanked me for it. The good thing is that the difference wasn’t that big. © Anastasiya Avcı / Facebook

Has your trust ever paid off?