Don't be afraid to tell the truth.

I was thinking whether I should be afraid to speak out the truth; speak out what I feel. There are chances that you might hurt the feelings of others or may even hurt yourself while speaking out the truth, but then should that be a deterrent?

I don’t think I would be helping my wife in any way if she is shabbily dressed and I tell her a lie that she is looking gorgeous. She might have taken some time to select the attire and then to dress up with a bit of make-up and some jewelry. She might be expecting a compliment from me after having satisfied herself by looking in the mirror. I know she would feel bad if I don’t appreciate her. But won’t I be doing a wrong to her by saying something which is not true? I do think so. I have just given the wife as an example. This is a fact that is true with everyone including me. Suppose your teacher praises your otherwise badly written essay just in order to raise your confidence level and to keep your moral high. I personally believe that she is doing the worst thing to you. She is creating a block in your way to improvement. You might feel bad or dejected for sometime if she criticizes your essay and tells you that you should put in more effort and better yourself; but it will do you only good in the long run.

We have become used to telling lies more due to the virtual world where we hide our faces and keep telling lies to please people. It may be okay for some because we don’t take comments or criticisms in the social networking sites too seriously. But that is not the case with the real world where you stand face to face with people whom you know. Why I am insisting on telling the truth is not because others value our judgement or opinion seriously but because I feel that it would be sort of cheating if we don’t tell the truth.

We often see subordinates nodding their heads in agreement and responding positively to anything their boss says. The boss might feel happy and he may give a broader smile when you meet him next time. But as a good and responsible subordinate one should be able to say what is right and should have the confidence to disagree with your boss if you feel that he is not right. You should be dutiful enough to give out your opinion even if it is on a different tangent from that of your boss. At the most he may call you to his office and warn you against being so open; I am sure that he won’t kick you out. And if he is a real leader he will surely note your name and consider you for a better job. Though, a critical opinion, no doubt, is rarely accepted.

I agree that there are many circumstances when we agree with someone well knowing that he is wrong or we choose to swim with the flow, but then that should be done only if we are sure that our falsified agreement will not do any harm. It is always better to be true and frank when you are with people who are well known to you.  Momentary feelings need not be given much importance. Time will stand by us. But yes, always remember to be polite and never blunt; in words or actions.

In the same note, I would also like to remind you that one should be ready to accept truth and criticism also. Don’t get bogged down. Be gracious enough to accept constructive criticism and spare time to give it a thought.