This commentary may be a bit lengthy for most folks. Pick and choose as you please. Agree and disagree as you please. If you go back to the beginning of this ‘Jaw Wag’ you will be reminded that this is not a commentary of ‘fluff’, hyperbole, graphic embellishments, or patronizing on any issue of real life. It appears we have diminished, as a creature, to about 9 seconds of attention span….a second more than the average frog. So, this ‘blog’ and commentary innately surpass most of the human’s ability to pay attention. Perhaps, you are the exception.
Honesty is a wonderful word everyone talks about and wants from everyone else. Yet, we all can see that this is a shadowy platitude. Why? We may all have our responses to that question. Even then, how completely honest are we with our responses? It goes so deep into our souls, the preconceptions of what we assume we are, the behavior we are conditioned to think and be, we are challenged with the edict of ever being totally honest.
To instigate the overview of what the real issue is, an example I found to be most relevant is here presented. In a movie, an aspiring actor had the opportunity to play a prime part in a Shakespearian play. The director was an eccentric nut-case and perverted the play in ways it was a disaster. On the first night, the actor’s girlfriend and her daughter were backstage. She knew how he would exit in absolute despair; so, she said to her daughter “remember to be diplomatic when he comes backstage”. The daughter asked, “what does ‘diplomatic’ mean”? The mother replied “Lie”.
How incredibly true this applies to virtually everything in life. From parenthood to their children, to man-woman relationships, businesses relating to governments, government communicating to their nations, nations relating to nations, the reality of ‘honest relativity’ applies.
I, personally, aspired, for a time, to ‘situational ethics’ because, at that time, I was not sure what honesty was and how it would impact my livelihood and responsibilities in life. Yes, situational ethics compromised my real honesty.
I can seriously see and understand how the pressures of the ‘for real’ world constantly test our innate sense of what is the right thing to do and be. Moreover, this conflict applies to our most personal and intimate decisions and conduct in life. It is specific while also being comprehensive in everything we are, do and act in every moment we exist.
Honesty, in its purest sense of the word, is both a desired virtue of life while also being the most profound challenge in every dimension of life. Honesty is living in the raw. It is so intimidating it threatens all and every detail of our most horrific moments, our hang-ups, our obvious and subdued difficulties in dealing with the past and present.
Despite whatever stream of thought is presented and imposed upon us, whatever notions of our excuses for whatever we are, our bigotries and conclusions regarding a life after this brief moment we live, the challenge of ‘honesty’ is our greatest challenge.
Here, as a common man, I turn a lot of folks off because I address life as it really is, not what we may wish it is. It’s my job and mission to do so. As we are so bombarded with the various media attempting to persuade us into the hyperboles, conjectures, conspiracies of global events, it is not as appealing as the grounded and rational reality we actually exist within.
Yes, stretching our consciousness, being open to possibilities and probabilities is important. Yet, there is a line of definition whereby we remain grounded in the daily realities of life or fly off into the exaggerated illusions of marketing. Knowing where that ‘line’ is, presents a real struggle for folks today as they are inundated and addicted to the hyperboles and enticements of our unprecedented communications media.
As offensive as this commentary may be to some folks, it is with sincere love and concern for everyone.
To get really personal (which I always intend to do), being honest with ones-self is a real challenge. It requires breaking down all our past mistakes, denials, those events, and how we may have failed to manage them in a constructive and healthy way, how we have made ourselves a better person or remain shackled with denials and resentments we are yet unable to face and overcome. It takes a degree of courageous effort to venture into this part of us; but, it is always worthwhile. We come out a better little soul at the end of that tunnel.
I say this because I have been there, traveled that tunnel. Along the way, we may offend many, lose what we thought were old friends, find ourselves in a place most unfamiliar and even alone. But, the refreshing quality of raw honesty is undeniably worth the journey.
Be assured, this quest for personal, inner honesty, applies to everything in life….not just our quiet ‘inner-self’. From personal relationships, family, community, national perspectives to the entire world in which we so intimately live, honesty is the most offensive defense against the world’s deceits.
Clay
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