11 truths honest people get about honesty (that dishonest people get so wrong)

Some people just can’t help but speak their mind and this level of honesty comes with its own benefits and pitfalls. Through their honesty, these bold individuals will come to gain a unique perspective on life, on relationships, and on society in general.

The unfiltered sincerity embodied by these people means they understand things that others might struggle with. They see through a lens that has a knack of revealing certain truths and these often come with a level of discomfort attached to them.

Here are just some of the many things that only those who always give an honest response will really understand about life.

1. Honesty Is Appreciated, Just Not Always Straight Away

The vast majority of people appreciate honesty when interacting with others; they just don’t always show it straight away. They know that a truly honest response is one that typically holds some truth to it, that most definitely isn’t malicious, and that is meant to enable growth.

The honest individual understands that what they say might not get the warmest of responses at first, and it may be emotionally painful to hear. They also know that once the initial shock and upset have passed, the other person is likely to thank them for not sugar coating it.

2. Some People Are Afraid Of Honesty

Not everyone is quite so welcoming of honesty; there are those who will actively avoid individuals who don’t hold back with their opinions. They do this to shield their egos from words that tear down the unrealities they have built in their minds.

Those who are brutally honest know exactly who these people are. They can spot them from a distance, but this doesn’t stop them from speaking their mind if the need arises.

3. Honesty Is Refreshing

For a lot of people, exposure to someone’s honest and heartfelt feelings comes as a refreshing surprise. We too often refrain from saying what the mind thinks, and so to meet an utterly honest person is like a breath of fresh air. It can even be infectious and lead to more honesty from other people too.

4. Honesty Is Valued By Society

Generally speaking, we all want honesty and integrity to prevail throughout society; we want our politicians, our businesses, and our communities to be open and transparent. We dislike hidden agendas, misleading information, and fraud.

An honest person comprehends this better than most and will always strive to encourage greater honesty through their own actions and activism.

5. Honesty Builds Trust

Perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, honesty engenders trust among people, groups, and organizations. When you know that someone makes no attempt to conceal their true feelings and motives, you have no fear of such things.

Honest individuals know this and it gives them very effective relationship-building abilities.

6. Honesty Can Hurt

As we’ve already touched upon, honesty can be hard to hear at times. Generally speaking, when someone’s honest opinion conflicts a great deal with your own, it will cause you some level of hurt or distress.

That’s why such free-speakers do still choose their words carefully so as to maintain their true perspective on things, while attempting to minimize the impact on the other person.

7. You Can Take Honesty Too Far

While being completely open and honest with someone is a mostly desirable trait, there does come a point at which honesty becomes something else.

Honesty is, after all, just giving your own opinions, and opinions can contain spite and insensitivity. Telling someone they are grossly overweight might be an accurate reflection of the truth, but it is an example of a situation in which honesty is not really required. Such a person will be acutely aware of his or her weight problem and does not need to be told about it.

8. Honesty Often Means Kindness Over Niceness

On the flip side of the previous point are those occasions where something that is going to be difficult to hear is still the right thing to say. When it is truly in the best interest of the other person and when they may otherwise be blind to their reality, it is kinder to be open with them than it is to withhold help and be nice instead.

9. There Is A Right And A Wrong Time For Honesty

As we’ve just discussed, as much as honesty can hurt, it can also be kind. In order to maximize the kindness and minimize the hurt, it is important to consider when the right moment for honesty is.

When a friend has just broken up with their partner, for instance, you might wish to tell them how much better they could do or how it was a disaster waiting to happen, but this is certainly not the right time for honesty.

They are already too full of hurt and it would be unwise to add to it just to gratify your need to tell them straight. Wait a little while and then they will be thankful for your words.

Of course, for those who have an honest approach to life, this is something they just inherently know.

10. Secrets Almost Always Find Their Way Out

An astounding number of people think that keeping secrets is the done thing, whereas an honest person knows that almost all secrets – both big and small – will unravel themselves eventually.

The problem with secrets is that you have to repeatedly be dishonest with your words and it is incredibly difficult to maintain this act indefinitely. Sooner or later you will slip up.

Honest people know this to be the case and so don’t even attempt to cover things up with lies and deceit.

As Mark Twain said: “if you speak the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

11. Being Honest With Yourself Is Most Important Of All

Perhaps the thing honest people understand better than anything else is that being inwardly honest is as important, if not more important, than being outwardly honest.

They know that deceiving yourself will only hold you back from living a peaceful and contented life. They don’t try to convince themselves of anything they don’t feel in their heart. Instead, they live openly, albeit not always comfortably, among their feelings and thoughts.