Truth

If one endeavors to speak the truth, then one must know what the truth is, and this goes far beyond the simple truths. It is one thing to know if you are lying by commission or omission. It is another thing to understand how you feel, recognize a situation for what it is, and speak the truth without undue friction. Whether you are dealing with a relative, a friend or a coworker, and whether you are grappling with how you feel about them or how they feel about you, you might not really know what the truth (your truth) is. And even if you do, is the ugly truth better than a polite lie that might smooth things over? I’ve seen depictions of how a succession of truths turns out to be disastrous (Everybody Loves Raymond) as well as depictions of how a succession of lies turns out to be equally disastrous (Seinfeld).  To the extent that it is not always practical to prioritize authenticity over expediency, I wonder if it might be better to say nothing at all, rather than to fabricate an insidious lie or deliver an explosive truth. With regard to this particular question, I would accept either an honest or a polite answer, and that’s not the truth. 

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