THE LOST ART OF RELATIONSHIP
candid. But this seems to be a rarity nowadays and should be looked at. Lies slowly chip away at a relationship until there is nothing left that remotely resembles one. When someone is caught in a lie, whatever trust was there is eradicated by one phrase from the tongue.
I always taught my daughters while they were growing up that there are two things their mom and I would never tolerate in the home:
lying, and disrespecting another individual
The reason we cannot tolerate those behaviors is that they are both self-serv- ing and either one can destroy the relationship between two people. Ask yourself if it is worth killing the trust between you and a close friend or family member over one act of defiance, lack of trust, or desire to avoid a messy confrontation? Chances are if your relationship cannot withstand an error by either party, then the relationship was not built on the solid ground of truth and authenticity in the first place.
Take a day and perform an experiment. Go through your day and become aware of who you are talking to and what you are saying. Take inventory of your words and conversations, and notice when you tell a lie or try to deceive someone into thinking a certain way. I would bet that you will be surprised at how many times you catch yourself being dishonest. By-the-way, you cannot simply tag on the phrase “just kidding” after you do so. Sooner or later others will see through the ruse, and your true colors will come to the surface.
Dishonesty adds a heavy burden to our relationships. When we lie, we have to remember who we said what to keep our story straight; otherwise we are exposed. We can then start to believe the lie ourselves. Honesty relieves that burden.
Every day we should work toward honesty. Your relationships will become less of a struggle when you just tell the truth. Of course, the truth you tell must be mixed with love. If it is not combined with love, you endanger the relationship, and people will be less inclined to be your friend.
Commit to Honesty
If we are people who genuinely desire healthy, lasting relationships, then we must commit to the art of honesty. So where do we start? The easy answer is “do not lie.”
Enough said.
Actually, I wish it were that easy. If being honest and truthful was easy, then we would not deceive each other so easily and freely.