War in Your Absence

There's one of my Aunts who growing up I felt was far too harsh for her bluntness. She didn't believe in mincing words and said what was on her mind as she perceived or felt it. This of course led her to be quite notorious with other members of my extended family and beyond, even though we were quite close and I loved her to pieces.

Growing up, I started seeing the good in being quite blunt as a quality. The rate of pretence I continue to experience as a now fully grown adult has to be sickening. There's quite a lot of sycophancy in the World, and people will dance to whatever tune as long as it favors them. Of course we can psychoanalyze and come to quite a few conclusions. People want to be accepted and there is a grave danger in being ostracized when one is perceived as too blunt.

Notwithstanding, there is also the death of honesty and danger of sycophancy. We see much broader examples on our social media space where people are heavily penalized for saying what isn't socially acceptable in today's World. This has led many to thread the path of caution, with some people deciding to permanently mute their voices as against lying or saying what they don't mean.

To bring my thoughts closer home though, I prefer a situation where am told bluntly my flaws and mistakes from the get go. I may not be too appreciative in the moment but long term I always come around. Of course there are those set of people who feel the need to stray from the truth but I don't subscribe. If people can't be honest in your presence they'll talk in your absence.