Illustration, The Universe and Everything

The Truth is a funny thing. I am very interested in The Truth. I often find that people do not want to hear The Truth, however much they may say they do. They want you say what they want to hear, which is often: "I'm sorry. You were right. I totally agree with you and I was wrong to suggest otherwise. Forgive me?"

Many people, in true Jack Nicholson/Tom Cruise style, can't handle The Truth. It's too painful. Yet, I would much rather be told The Truth straight away, even if it's not nice. The Truth is far preferable to labouring under a misapprehension for days, years even, only to discover you've been a gullible idiot. The lie that covers up The Truth is always more painful.

For a light-hearted example, if you are told an item will be posted out to you on Friday, but in fact the person posting the item hasn't even got it to send out yet, wouldn't you rather they told you they hadn't got it than tell you it's in the post? You'll find out anyway when Monday arrives and your item doesn't, so why did they bother placating you in the first place with a lie that'll just come back and bite them on the bum later on? For me, the lie would hurt more than the fact my item didn't arrive.**

I try to tell The Truth all the time. Sometimes that's not easy or practical, but I do try. Rather than saying I like something when I don't, I'll say nothing. I often find, though, that telling The Truth will get you into trouble. The Truth about your feelings, particularly, as often they're intertwined with someone else's. But surely it's better to get how you feel out into the open? Especially if it's affecting you negatively? How can people tell you, then, that what you feel is wrong? How can your feelings, your thoughts, your opinions, be tossed aside and trampled on, why should you be punished, when they are The Truth?

**This is just a theoretical example. Although this kind of thing happens to Lovely Jon all the time.