Let's Be Honest
It is National Honesty Day. A time to reflect on where we stand on the honesty scale.
National Honesty Day was brought to life in 1990. A former press secretary M. Hirsh Goldberg of Maryland was writing a book called The Book of Lies: Fibs, Tales, Schemes, Scams, Fakes, and Frauds That Have Changed the Course of History and Affect Our Daily Lives. The idea for this day was to ask direct questions without ulterior motives, and expect answers of occasionally brutal honesty. Of course, being truly honest can sometimes cause harsh relations between people. But, it is also said to be the first step to healing hurt feelings and creating clear communication that bring us to deeper understanding.
A conflict comes to mind when talking about honesty. Is it better to be kind when dealing with others or do we throw out our honest reaction? Say a friend shows you her new outfit that she is so proud of and asks how you like it. You think it is hideous, unflattering and nothing you would ever think of wearing. What do you say if you are to be honest? How many of us would actually tell your friend the complete truth? Does it mean we are lying if we gush the compliments and tell her it looks nice? I am all for being kind to others so I would be the one to compliment her no matter what I thought. Does that make me a dishonest person? Quite a conundrum, wouldn't you say?
Honesty comes in may forms. When I think of being honest with our fellow man I think of our everyday dealing with others through relationships, business dealing and our sense of duty to name a few. Think how wonderful our world would be if everyone was honest in their dealings with others. There would be no corruption, there would be dedication in work environments, productivity in job and business would increase leading to higher economic development and financial stability. There would be honesty in personal and business dealings. Absence of personal and business problems would lead to an overall happier social environment. Not to mention, honesty in leadership and government roles would create more followers and build trust with less contention.
Personal relationships would also benefit. In Psychology Today there is a fantastic article on building trust and honesty in a relationship. While it might be difficult to hear the truth sometimes, this article points out that we as humans are resilient. "We can handle pretty much anything, as long as we are willing to live in reality and face the truths that exist."
Let us remember to be the person who is truthful and honest in our dealing with others. Let's evaluate where we stand as we go about each day. Are we the one who stand up for what is right or do we cower in the background afraid to voice the truth? Do we voice our own opinions without facts or do we honestly search for what is right through study? Are we the one who tells stories to boost our own ego or do we admit we are fallible? All in all, honesty is going to get you further in the long run and on a personal level, you'll feel a lot better about who you are as person.
Keep it honest and love much,
Heather
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