Honesty and Clarity

Does ‘life’ count as a reason?

A parent asked this as she was signing their child in as late in the office one morning. I cannot recall the exact response from the office staff, something to the order of “That’s as a good a reason as any” along with some friendly laughter.

Honesty…it can be refreshing, especially when situations are uncomfortable. People tend to rationalize their behaviors to maintain our egos and save face. By saying, “I don’t know.” or “I was wrong.”, we get the opportunity to improve because we are honest with ourselves. It leads to clarity.

Sometimes the word “honesty” is misused. For example, when someone wants to vent or to express dislike in someone’s actions, they might add “I am just being honest” to their declaration. I find that type of response to sometimes be cover for our own areas where we feel challenged. This type of honesty may only serve to delude ourselves while fooling few. I think we’ve all been there.

Life happens, just as the parent admitted. The world is in constant motion even though we desire a sense of control. Acknowledging this reality might be the first step toward change.

Want to be sure you don’t miss any posts? Subscribe to this blog today and sign up for the bi-monthly newsletter at readbyexample.substack.com.