The root of the word “credibility” is “credo,” which means “I believe” in Latin. Put simply, credibility is the feeling of trust and respect that you inspire in others. If you’re going to invest your time, energy, and enthusiasm with someone, you want that person to be credible and worthy of your trust. Hence credibility plays an important role in building inter-personal and even inter-organizational relationships.

There was once a miser. He thought he was very clever. Once he happened to lose his purse containing a hundred pieces of gold. He was in great distress. He went to the town crier and asked him to announce a reward of ten gold coins to one who would restore the purse to him.

After a few days a farmer came to him with the purse. He had found it lying in his farm. The miser counted the money. He found that the purse contained a hundred pieces of gold. He thanked the farmer for the pains he had taken.

The farmer now wanted the reward as announced. The miser said that he had all ready taken the reward because there were a hundred and ten coins in it. The farmer now understood how clever the miser was. He, therefore went to the judge.

The judge sent for the miser and heard him. He at once understood that the miser was a trickster. He decided the case in favour of the farmer. He said that the purse contained only one hundred pieces of coins and therefore the purse could not belong to the miser. The miser had over reached himself and therefore had to suffer.

Moral: Do not play upon the credibility of others.