To Tell You The Truth . . .

Image of Brian Kight
Brian Kight

“How many times were we taught as young people to "tell the truth". But were we taught with the same intensity how to “seek out the truth”? I was not.  

Would we all tell the truth and be more candid if we believed those around us could handle it or we somehow became detached from the need for being liked all the time. Is our need for social harmony preventing us from the telling and receiving the truth?” 

A friend of mine wrote that on LinkedIn yesterday. The full post is worth a quick read here.

What a fascinating insight.

Most of us were not taught how to seek, hear, and process the truth as definitively as we were taught to tell the truth. Telling the truth is understood to be a virtuous act, even when it gets you in trouble, even though it undoubtedly will anger some people.

Is hearing the truth not just as virtuous? I would freely make the case it is. Possibly more. Especially truth that stings or is counter to your current perspective.

There are two primary reasons it might be hard to tell the truth. One is because of the price we pay for it. The other is because we doubt someone else’s ability or willingness to hear it and process it well. This second reason is the one I hear people anxious about the most.

The insight for us all here is to make sure we work as hard, if not harder, to be truth-seekers and truth-listeners as we do to be truth-tellers, because truth moves in both directions.

Everything is training for something. Do the work.

Share your thoughts

DAILY DISCIPLINE

Related Messages.

Image of Brian Kight
Brian Kight

Prepare Yourself For What’s Ahead

Yesterday I suggested that we don't need to discover new effective behaviors. The behaviors we need...

Read more
Image of Brian Kight
Brian Kight

How to care when you don’t feel like it.

Caring about people isn't a feeling. It's a choice. It's not an emotion. It's an action.

Read more