If you are a child of the 80s then A Few Good Men is part of the movies you must have watched growing up... More so if you were a teenage girl. Indeed who could resist Tom Cruise (Kaffee) in his impeccable navy blue uniform? ... I was just 13...
Some religious people will tell you that "'the' truth will set you free.."
'The' truth... More like 'a' truth because nobody possess it wholly but we all own bits of it...
As for it setting us 'free' it may be more complicated than that.
Saying it carries different considerations than hearing it. Indeed, a truth may appease our conscience vis-a-vis a particular issue but what if 'coming clean' with the truth only transfers the burden unto someone else?
The truth, a truth, it is quite a delicate thing to handle. So delicate sometimes a moral dilemma ensues: should it be told or should it be kept quiet? I guess partly it depends on who should hear it and who will say it (and how).
Do you tell your friend a truth that can be so difficult to accept that s/he may decide you are lying and refuse to accept it? Knowing this will be the case do you withhold the truth for the sake of keeping her/his distorted view of reality alive? What is it to you in the end? If they are happy living in delusion why should you shatter the illusion?
Should you speak this truth? Do you bite the bullet and risk a friendship over principles? Should ethics take precedence? Would being ethical/pragmatic equate to being insensitive? Or are there some truths that are better left untold?
Now if this truth you are not saying pertains to you and you are withholding from saying it out loud to yourself, it will start to eat away at our tranquility. Whatever tranquility we may have! For through the awareness of its existence, this truth -whether accepted or not - this truth won't be denied!
Sometimes we don't want to hear a truth because deep inside we are aware of it and speaking it will make it real. Once it is real we must choose to face it or run from it... This choice can be troubling for it MUST be made!
Running away from issues/truths seldom gets us anywhere in the end... and if we're running away from one of those unspoken truths, then it is already too late for it exists and not acknowledging it probably only cause more harm than good. It is more than likely that these truths catch up with us sooner or later...
Arguments can evolve in any direction... Ultimately however, I think that as hard as it can be I rather hear the truth -albeit presented as tactfully as humanly possible. Some people will rather run...
Maybe the decision to say/hear/accept this truth is ruled by game theory... It will depend on what is to be gained. Sometimes saying it won't change anything, and if it is not your life then might as well forget it...
Maybe time will erode it...
Nah! That's just wishful thinking!
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