Honesty and Trust - The Foundation of Relationships

I know this fellow who's been a close friend of mine for over 40 years. In all that time, he's never lied to me. He's had his chances. I've asked him about some pretty embarrassing stuff, but he always tells it like it is with no thought to whether I might think less of him. As a result, I'm tremendously fond of him, and I trust him completely.

Honesty is essential to relationships. Ultimately people don't trust anyone who misrepresents the truth.

Telling the truth isn‘t always comfortable or easy. To avoid personal embarrassment, you may be tempted to change the story or leave out certain facts.

But if you misrepresent the truth or tell only a portion of the truth, you‘re concealing information from people who may need it. In life, people need to know how things really are so they can deal with issues and problems. People depend on you for accurate information. If you cover something up because it‘s embarrassing or damaging to you, you could be setting up the people you care about to fail.

The right thing to do is to be straightforward and take the heat. Besides, you can‘t hide a lie forever. Almost always, the facts come to light. If people find out you deceived them, they‘ll stop trusting you. And trust is the foundation of relationships.

You have the strength to face the facts — all of them. Even if they make you "look bad" at the time, it‘s better to give people what they need — the best possible information. Tell the truth no matter how embarrassing, and people will respect you for it.

A Fortune Cookie...

Shake hands with the truth, and she will make you stronger.

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Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .