It is hard to be truly honest. On the surface, the word “honest” simply means free from deception or fraud. But with this definition, there is a huge gray area that leads many representing “the deception” from his or her perspective. Everyone tends to fall deep into the habit of saying the convenient things rather than being completely honest. But beyond the definition of what it means, to be honest is an act, behavior, or personality.
Being honest is a good quality to portray. Having an honest behavior means one is free from deception. It is always said, “Honesty is the best policy”. Because when one is honest, others will respect him or her and believe them to be trustworthy. As a way of dealing with people, honesty is all about trust.
Can you be truly honest? In a perfect world, yes everyone could be honest. In the real world, it is often hard to tell the truth. Many people are fearful hurting someone’s feeling or dealing with the backlash. But one has to ask the question, “Wouldn’t I want someone to be truly honest with me?” It is easier to be on the giving end than the receiving end. Being dishonest never solves a problems; it only adds to a problem. Although one has every intention of being honest, there are some situations that lead many to be dishonest.
- We do not want to hurt someone’s feelings.
- We do not want someone to think badly of us.
- We are protecting someone or ourselves.
- We are protecting other people’s image of us or our own image.
- We want something from someone and have no intention to offer anything in return.
These situations are vague, but they are demonstrated to show how often dishonesty is provoked by fear and avoid backlash. Think of all the times one of these situations has surfaced in life. How was it handled – telling the truth or a little white lie? If the latter were chosen, what harm would telling the truth cause?
One thinks that being truly honest makes him or her vulnerable, and he or she uses dishonesty as a shield – but at what cost?
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