"If you make yourself vulnerable to them by expressing your genuine self," Bennett adds, "it's probable they'll use that against you in some manner." "Being really honest around them may have harmful effects, so keep them at arm's length."
Harmful effects include embarrassment, rejection, and even physical danger. Being really honest can also lead to undue punishment or frustration, especially if you don't drop the honesty bomb gently.
So, while it's important to be honest with others, doing so must be done with care and sensitivity.
If you make a mistake with self-disclosure, it can seriously harm your reputation. It can also put others in a tough situation if they learn more about you than they are comfortable with. Be careful not to go too far with this tool - what is acceptable in email may not be appropriate elsewhere.
We lie to protect ourselves from the agony and consequences of their sentiments, or even our own self-judgment. To properly integrate a tough experience and eliminate any residual bad energy, we must be honest with ourselves and others. This demands the ability to think and feel at the same time. It's not easy.
The heart is an emotional organ. We need wisdom and logic to function well. If you want to remain calm and collected when faced with something you cannot control, then it is essential to learn how to shut out all emotions when making critical decisions. This can only be done through practice. Honesty requires us to be completely open and clear about ourselves, our feelings, and others. It is also important to be aware of the impact of our words and actions without judging yourself too harshly for making mistakes.
Being honest means being true to oneself. It means knowing what one wants and going after it. It means never having to say you're sorry because there was never anything to begin with. Being honest doesn't mean that we suffer through pain when others are involved, but rather that we are willing to sacrifice ourselves if it means protecting those we care about. This is why honesty is crucial to healthy relationships.
Being honest helps us grow. It forces us to face our problems head on instead of hiding from them. It makes us stronger people who can handle anything that comes our way.
Having said that, it's crucial to remember that honesty is typically the best policy, so don't develop a practice of lying your way through life. However, if you come into a circumstance in which being honest may cause more issues than it is worth—and suppressing the truth would not harm anyone—consider it OK.
Being truthful to oneself necessitates self-awareness and perhaps bravery. It might be difficult to connect with your truth at times, and much more difficult to act on that truth. Because honesty is so powerful, it may be intimidating. The mind often has reasons for doing or saying something; it can be rational or not. When you are willing to look inside yourself and explore why you do what you do, you are being honest with yourself.
Your truth does not have to be perfect or complete. You do not need to understand everything about yourself in order to be honest with yourself. All you need to know is whether or not you are telling the truth about yourself. If you are lying to yourself, then you will never find out your true potential. You must be able to see yourself as others do in order to be honest with yourself.
It is helpful when exploring your truth to use the following questions: Who am I? What are my values? What makes me happy? How do I want to live my life? Using these questions helps you look deeper into yourself and discover your truth.
In order to be honest with yourself, you would have to ask yourself what kind of husband and father you want to be.