[VLM]

Well, I'll give you credit for pointing out I meant relative applied honesty.

An EE calculating a resistor for a circuit has a certain applied relative honesty such that either he's truthful about 2+2=4 and the circuit works or he lies and the 2+2=5 and the circuit doesn't work. That times 300 days/year time millions of engineers times centuries of progress equals our pretty freaking cool miracle of a modern world. Some individuals sometimes cheat when they play poker, or lie about politics, whatever.

On the other hand consider a line of work inherently relatively on average dishonest like marketing a dish soap via TV commercial method of marketing. No amount of extra lying will eventually construct Hoover Dam or land men on the moon.