Honesty.... what is it really?

Most people would probably say that they already know the answer to this question.

It would certainly seem to be self-evident. People will speak of not lying, cheating or stealing, and of course, that would be hard to argue with.

However, on a deeper level, I would suggest that honesty means "loyalty to the facts" and that means that we are honest, most of all with ourselves. It has been said that, of all the people we can fool, the easiest is ourselves.

Many times, facing stark reality can appear to be quite daunting. We will minimize our shortcomings, for example, so we can feel better about ourselves, (and also because it saves us from doing anything about them.)

We will rationalize and justify those behaviours that deep down we know we should change.

In the end, though, this behaviour may seem advantageous, and arguably it is comforting, in the short run, but the price to pay in the long term is very high.

Once formed, the habit of evading reality, can lead us to disaster, including, but not restricted to, losing touch with the distinction between reality and illusion as well as a total loss of self-esteem.

People will speak of the need to develop acceptance, when it comes to reality, and I would agree that this is a great first step. Of course, people always say acceptance is the first step towards change. However, I would suggest that we want to go further, to realizing that reality is our greatest friend and ally, and the quicker we deal with it head on, the greater the odds of a favorable outcome, so I will sugggest, not "accepting" but "cherishing" reality. The good stuff is awesome, but the scary stuff is all sources for personal growth so bring it on!

Alternatively, avoiding dealing with reality will only make things far worse in the long run, and that is why one of my very favorite quotes...(I may have used this in a previous entry) is "I'm not brave enough to be a coward!" (Ayn Rand)

Heroes live Life on Life's Terms!