As an illustration of why an individual needs principles to survive and flourish, consider the principle of honesty. Honesty, as we shall see later, belongs to a special category of principles underlying the character traits known as virtues. The practical difficulties and hazards in maintaining the web of deception entailed by even a minor dishonesty are proverbial. An especially vivid illustration is provided by Leonard Peikoff (), who points out that the dishonest person is ultimately defeated by the unified nature of reality. Any attempt to suppress the recognition of any aspect of reality necessitates suppressing the recognition of all connected aspects. Yet these connections are so complex and far-reaching that the dishonest individual is, in effect, placed in an antagonistic relationship with the whole of existence.     

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