#1
Depending on where you’re from and how you were raised, you might have absolutely no trouble being brutally honest with others, or you might struggle to say anything without sugar-coating it. In the United States, for example, people love to beat around the bush and word things as delicately as possible. In many Slavic cultures, however, saying things plainly is the norm, which can seem jarring or perhaps even rude to some outsiders.
The great thing about being honest, though, is that nobody has to read between the lines. If you know exactly where someone stands and how they feel about you, you can just relax. So you baked a cake that they thought was too sweet? Oh, well. Who cares what they think? At least they respect you enough to tell you the truth. And when they give you a compliment, you'll know that they really meant it.
According to Verywell Mind, honesty is absolutely crucial to creating and maintaining strong relationships. This includes being honest with others and with yourself. Doing so allows the relationship to be authentic and makes it easier for both parties to communicate their needs. It might be scary from time to time, but at least you won’t be stressing about trying to put on an act and be someone that you’re not.
Plus, honesty allows the two of you to build trust. Sharing isn’t always easy, but it builds intimacy. And once you’ve established that you can trust each other with the truth, it will be easier to continue sharing it in the future.
If you want to open up the door for more honesty in your relationships, you first have to allow yourself to be vulnerable. If something is bothering you, for example, don’t sweep it under the rug. Find a way to open up to your partner and share your concerns with them. This will also communicate to them that they can share their concerns freely too.
#10
In the same vein, you have to create a safe space for sharing if you want people to be honest. When they share something with you, even if it’s hard to hear, don’t get defensive or upset. Do your best to hear them out, and respond calmly. You might need to tell them that you weren’t expecting what they said or that you need some time to process. That’s okay! Just remember that if you want to be honest with others, you have to allow them to be honest too.
Now, like most things in life, there can be too much of a good thing. I’m sure you’ve come across someone at some point who used the excuse of being a “blunt and honest” person to simply be downright mean. Being honest does not require bullying people or putting them down. You can still phrase things in a way that’s not cruel, even if you’re saying something that’s difficult to hear. Remember that respect and honesty go hand in hand.
#18
When you want to be honest with someone, you have to remember the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. Finding a gentle way of wording something is not lying, and being painfully honest to the point of hurting someone’s feelings intentionally is just mean. There’s a fine line, of course; you can still hurt someone’s feelings just by being gently honest. But claiming bluntness as your primary personality trait and using that as an excuse to be cruel is not going to help you make friends.
