To Tell the Truth...

For background, read the following article on Radical Honesty in this month’s Esquire magazine:

http://www.esquire.com/features/honesty0707

Imagine that recently you worked up the courage to ask that chick that has been stuck in your head like “Lipgloss” since you first ran into her and she actually agreed to go out with you. All day long the clock has been moving like molasses and you’re in the last hour of your work day. Already anxious, the day can’t seem to get any longer and your boss comes up and asks you to stay late to help meet a deadline. Not knowing what time you’d actually finish, you already know your dream date is collateral damage in the never-ending quest to keep your job. Your boss turns to you and asks:

“I hope you don’t mind. This will really help the company and your position within it. You’re fine with staying late, right?”

You reply, weakly, “Sure, anything to help the team…”

What you wanted to say was, “F*$% no I’m not fine with it! I haven’t been on a date in six months and now I’m close enough that I can see the Promised Land, and you want me to spend my night with you! You’ll probably leave in 30 minutes and have me finish up all the work. There is no team…there’s you pimping me on the block…and don’t talk to me about promotions because the only thing you promote is yourself and your agenda, m#$% f#%@!”

That’s radical honesty, a program designed to improve oneself by giving up lying, even the little white ones. I’m sure you hear people say that they always tell the truth, even though that is a lie. Hell, the first person you usually lie to every day is yourself.

I actually tried radical honesty one day and made it about 5 minutes before the ill looks from those around me had me backpedaling like a free safety. It just can’t be done unless you’re trying to live a life by yourself and if that’s your goal then honesty is the least of your problems.

Society not only calls for the individual to lie, but to know when to lie and what kinds of lies are acceptable. “That was a great dinner” is an acceptable lie. “It’s your baby” is not.

If you don’t believe me, try to go a whole day without lying. One would hope this exercise would give all those “truth tellers” out there a dose of reality, but I doubt it. I highly suspect they already know it, but still use that mindset to make themselves feel superior to one who admits life imposes limitations.

In actuality, they’re the people least capable of hearing the truth…honestly…

Author's Note: In all honestly, it's six months into The Year of the Pig and I want to thank anyone who takes time out of their day to read the ramblings of a slightly unhinged individual. Six more months to go until Chinese New Year brings an end to the Year of the Pig. I hope you'll look back at it and will have had as much fun as yours truly, because once it's gone, so am I. Let's have a ball until then!