6) Honesty.

I am “for” honesty.

Okay so you’re probably thinking I would be talking about the opposite of lying. I already did that over here. I don’t want to re-say what I’ve already said, so go read that. There’s another aspect of honesty that I want to speak of here.

We each have our own perspective. No exceptions.

We also all have a huge problem – our problem is that our perspective limits us from knowing that we have a problem. Think about that… Your problem is that you don’t know you have a problem.

To obtain true honesty — about ourselves even — we need to get away from the selectivity of our own perception and see ourselves as others see us.

For example, I remember a principal in high school who had the main job of disciplining students. Of course students need disciplined and corrected — but “he” would BARK at them. Constantly. It was never done with love or concern (although I’m sure the love and concern was present — we just couldn’t see it). He emitted anger in nearly every command. “Don’t tip your chair!” “Where’s your hall pass?” and “Don’t throw your corn!” Students began to hate this principal and did things just to provoke him (even our teachers mocked the principle’s zealousness). He would have been so much more effective had he showed that he cared instead of constantly barking at us. Saying things like, “Hey tipping your chair can break the legs. Please don’t tip your chair,” or “Hey do you have a hall pass?” would have had a better result from the students.

Now this principal probably thought he did a fantastic job. He probably saw himself as the most committed employee at the school — who else deals with angry parents and students all day long like he does? Nobody. But he’s limited by his perspective. To see the true honesty about himself he needed to see himself how other people saw him.

I don’t want to be defined by what I’m against — I am “for” honesty. We should be honest and help others find honesty about themselves as well (a lie by omission is still a lie).