Honesty is one of the key factors in any healthy relationship. Especially in romantic ones. Even more so if you’re thinking of spending the rest of your lives together. Though, even with the best of intentions, it can get you into quite a pickle because the truth often hurts.
Redditor u/paolde told the AITA community how he got into trouble for being too open with his fiancée. She wanted an honest opinion about her wedding dress and he said he didn’t like it. Little did the guy know that it would be the start of their first fight. The community members couldn’t believe he didn’t see it coming, though.
Honesty is the best policy, but it might lead to trouble nevertheless as the truth can hurt sometimes
Image credits: andriymedvediuk (not the actual photo)
A guy told his honest opinion about his fiancée's wedding dress, which didn’t help their relationship one bit
Image credits: Wavebreakmedia (not the actual photo)
Image credits: paolde
Honesty can be challenging but it leads to a more secure relationship and stronger mutual trust
Image credits: Vera Arsic (not the actual photo)
Being honest is very important in relationships, because it shows that a person trusts their partner and feels secure with them. Such feelings allow them to open up and reveal their more vulnerable side. That helps create a stronger bond.
Though, as with most things in life, there are two sides to this coin as well. The less romanticized aspect of honesty is hurting the ones you love as the truth can be upsetting. Some people might want to spare their loved one’s feelings and choose to sugarcoat information or lie altogether. They might also do so because they want to avoid feeling bad about themselves or possible conflict.
No matter the reason, the vast majority (roughly 73%) of couples admit they have lied to their partner. Even between married couples, as much as 10% of communication contains some sort of deception. At the end of the day, it might negatively affect not only the relationship, but one’s personal well-being as well.
A bitter truth is better than sweet lies as it positively affects relationships and life in general
Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez (not the actual photo)
This is what makes bitter truth better than sweet lies; whether it’s having to tell someone things they might not want to hear or being on the receiving end of it. Hearing truthful opinions might not be easy either. But research shows that honesty positively correlates with one’s satisfaction in life. In addition to that, over 90% of couples who have never lied to each other claim to be happy with their relationships.
How someone responds to your honest statements depends on how you phrase things. Being open, even when it comes to the most sensitive of things, doesn’t mean having to be cruel. It is important to think about the right words and the meaning they carry. They can help soften the blow if the truth is something your partner might find difficult to hear.
The OP didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he asked if his fiancée wanted an honest opinion. Hurting her feelings was likely the last thing on his mind, yet that was exactly what happened. Unfortunately, honesty can be a tricky thing to handle. But at least the OP felt safe enough in their relationship to be able to express it, even though the outcome wasn't something he expected.
The groom-to-be found a picture of a similar dress to help the community members get a better idea of what he was talking about
The guy answered some questions in the comments, providing more details about the situation and the wedding
Community members split into two camps about the guy being a jerk, but most of them agreed he was foolish
