Definition: To be honest about things and feelings with oneself and
others
Truthfulness
has many characteristics and its complexity unfolds as we mature. Truthfulness
is a lifelong guideline to practice.
Its attributes are complex and often dependent on circumstances.
"To be
truthful means being honest about things and feelings...being honest with
ourselves and with others. Being truthful is not always easy because truth is
not black and white. Two seemingly contradictory statements could both be
the truth depending upon the perspectives of the observers. It takes courage to
be truthful because others may disagree.”
Being
truthful requires good judgment about WHAT to say, WHEN to say it, to WHOM to
say it and HOW to say it.
Being
truthful is an important building block for human relationships and therefore
has significant consequences on both the short-term and long-term."
If we aren't truthful;
people and especially family and friends, will be suspicious when we share experiences,
stories or feelings. And if we can't be trusted to tell the truth with even insignificant
information, how can anyone believe that we we are saying is true? By telling
the truth, friends, family, and colleagues will believe what we say and in
addition the human body feels less stressed when we tell the truth.
When being
truthful you will experience an increased sense of confidence, less anxiety,
worry and guilt. You will have an increased ability to deal with crises and be
better equipped to handle problems. You will experience improved interpersonal relationships
and greater control of your emotions. You may also experience the ability reason
better and to influence other people.
When you’re
not truthful, you tend to be more frustrated with yourself and life in general,
you may lack self-confidence, have dysfunctional relationships with family,
friends and colleagues and possible suffer different kinds of stresses.
A
renowned quote states the following “If you tell the truth, you don't have
to remember anything”. Tell the entire truth immediately rather than a little
at a time. Credibility and trustworthiness is easy to destroy with a few simple
untrue stories that’s told in a moment.
Telling the
truth isn't always easy. Often, telling the truth brings unpleasant
consequences. However, telling a lie under whatever circumstances almost always
has far-reaching consequences and too often of greater severity than if we
simply spoke the truth up front and accepted the consequences. - as unpleasant
as it might be. Once we're caught lying, people lose faith and confidence in us
and this is devastating. Rebuilding trust is a topic for another post.
Remember: Truthfulness is one of the greatest and most important of all
human virtues. Speak the truth, even if it hurts.
