Being honest with people is an important step in building relationships. If everyone is confident in your decency, they trust you, they value and respect you, they reckon with you. It seems that there is nothing easier than being honest - you just need to always tell the truth. This is what can be a big problem. Frank statements are not always the best answer to the question. They can undeservedly hurt someone’s feelings, offend and harm people. And it will not be fair.
Instruction manual
one
Choose those you can trust to be completely honest with them. You do not need to strive to openly answer the questions of everyone and everyone, but spouses, partners and friends deserve to know the truth. In the end, it is the ability to accept you as you are, and is fundamental to close relationships.
2
Start the “honesty policy” with yourself. After all, here you do not need to be afraid to offend someone, hurt or harm someone. Knowing the truth about yourself is sometimes more important than telling it to others. Do not lie to yourself even in trifles, because it is they that distort your perception of yourself.
3
Find a balance between honesty and confidentiality. Because you are honest, you should not become naive and vulnerable. There are things that we do not tell someone because a person does not have the right to this information. To keep silent about the fact that you have a child from your ex-wife, talking with someone with whom you hope to enter into a romantic relationship is one thing, and not telling aunts in the next department about it is another.
4
Be careful when someone wants to share something with you in confidence. If your interlocutor wishes to conceal an unseemly act and begins the phrase with the phrase “don't tell X about it, ” it might be best to interrupt him right away and say, “if this is something that I would like to know on the spot X, it’s better not to tell, because I do not want to be responsible for such secrets."
5
Think Before Cutting The Truth Into The Eyes Of Others. If what you are about to say will do more harm than good, then it’s better to keep silent. Ask yourself, but would you like to encounter a "true love" like you in such a situation?
6
If you are asked a sensitive question, weigh the pros and cons before giving an honest answer. For example, if you are asked for advice in a serious situation, you should try to give it as tactfully as possible, but frankly; if you are more interested in proforma, then perhaps it is worth leaving your opinion or knowledge to yourself.
7
When you feel an urgent need to share some “truth” with someone, think - is this a really necessary step, or do you want to take it for the sake of your reputation as an honest person? Is the information that you own so useful and important, or will it only emphasize your awareness and openness?