Is Honesty Really the Best Policy?

The truth will set you free is something I have always been told. However, my mother once told me there is such a thing as being too honest. The heart of the matter is sometimes brutal honesty can cost friendships, huge misunderstandings or even one’s professional career.

So is honesty really the best policy?

In the grand scheme of things integrity is a great attribute to possess. The interesting thing is defining integrity and knowing how to remain tactful. Over the years I have had to accept that if I give what I think is constructive criticism to someone then I have to be able to receive it as well.

Recently, a friend of mine said some very hurtful things to me. Instead of confronting her in public at the time of the incident I decided to leave. The strangest thing is we have always been open and honest with each other but for some reason that night I was extremely offended.

Now that I have had a chance to gather my thoughts that night taught me a valuable lesson being honest doesn’t mean being hurtful. The people closest to us know not only our strengths but our weaknesses and insecurities. It is in the human nature to examine the flaws of one another but it’s an individual decision to continue to remind a person of what’s wrong with them.

Overall, there is a fine line between honesty and rudeness. Our daily challenge is to choose our words carefully and understand that sometimes what we say can hurt someone.