Honesty is something that I value. I always have, and likely always will, and I do believe being honest is a character trait in life that really isn’t overly popular among us.
There is a difference between being honest and being blunt or brash, though, and I believe this difference is worth noting. Honesty in itself can be harsh enough, therefore being a little too honest, meaning we come across as rude or crass, isn’t always a good thing.
I had a conversation with a friend the other day that got me thinking about whether or not being honest is always so great. It may seem like it on a surface level, but diving a little deeper into the realm of honesty can present questions and possibilities that aren’t always desired.
Say, for example, you’re like me and have always tried to be as honest as possible. By choosing to be honest with everyone, you do run the risk of being disliked by certain people to an extent. There are some of us who rather wouldn’t hear the truth at times, and prefer facts or opinions to be sugar-coated or disingenuous, so these are the folks that arguably wouldn’t be huge fans of people who consistently tell it like it is.
Sometimes I wonder if I have lost friends because of my transparency. It’s certainly possible, though I would like to believe this isn’t the case. If it is, however, I can say with *honesty* that I would rather be disliked for being straightforward than being liked for spewing bullshit through my teeth to please people.
I do believe honesty is the best policy. Some won’t agree with me, and that’s just fine. I just think we would all be a lot better off if we kept things as real as possible instead of treading on eggshells to avoid upsetting feelings or opinions when it comes to certain things.
ontheedgeofeverything 