“A truth that is not kind or necessary is nothing more than a poorly aimed weapon.’
I recently had a spirited conversation with someone on this very topic. I think that sometimes truth gets setup as ‘the ultimate good guy’… when in fact it can be the exact opposite- when it is poorly used. A truth that is not kind, necessary, or capable of transforming a situation for the better- may be a truth that is better left unsaid.Obviously, I am not endorsing dishonesty…An unspoken truth that is causing harm to no one is very different from a lie. My thoughts today are very specific to hard truths… the kind of truths that can inflict pain and are shared not because they need to be, but instead, simply because they can be.
Next time you are tempted to take that noble path of truth ‘no matter what,’ ask yourself three questions: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Does it have the power to transform the situation for the positive?
If you cannot answer yes to all three questions, you may want to take your finger off the trigger and put that weapon of truth safely back in its holster….