Have you seen that Citi credit card commercial where a heterosexual couple just got done with a date and they are talking outside of a taxi in a busy city.
The woman, “I had a wonderful time tonight.”
The man, “Me too.”
The woman, “Call me tomorrow?”
The man, “I’m going to send a vague text in a couple of days that leaves you confused about my level of interest.”
The woman, “I’ll wait a full two days before responding.”
The man, “Perfect.” as the woman gets in the taxi.
The man, “We’re never going to see each other again, will we?”
The woman, “No.”
The man, “Perfect.”
Even though this commercial is about how Citi credit card means what it says, it also questions why can’t we mean what we say. I even found in my own personal experiences with relationships (romantically, professionally, and friendships) that we do not say what we mean. Maybe the main reason we don’t is due to fear; fear of rejection and fear of being hurt. As a human being, I personally know we want to protect ourselves no matter the cost.
Saying what we mean and being honest with our feelings is a double blade sword. For instance, it was refreshing after watching the Citi commercial that both parties went home happy, yet that could not always be the case. The guy in the commercial could have wanted to pursue things, but if the woman literally said what she meant and did not have any interest in pursuing a relationship with the man. She could have done some serious damage to the guy.
Or we could take it to even a simple everyday occurrence. How many times are we asked “how are you” in a day and how many times do we automatically answer with a “good”? If we were honest we could all say what is going on with our lives and spill every personal detail to a stranger. Yet, if we start practicing honesty and openness with our children could you image what the world would be like when they are older?
However, if we take this openness and honesty in the workplace, I am pretty sure no one will ever be hired. We are taught not to lie on a resume, but we are told to elaborate and expand more on our qualities so we would be more hirable. We are also taught to tailor our cover letter to be more appealing to the company we want to be hired by. I am not saying that everyone does this, but what would it be like if everyone was completely honest in their cover letters and resume. My hunch would be not a lot of people would get called for an interview. I personally know if a 16-year-old me was told to be 100 percent honest in a cover letter it would have basically said “I want a job so I can go shopping.” However, I know personally once I got a job I tried to stay as honest and open with my bosses as I could. Through my personal experiences, I know that employers appreciate openness and honesty with their employees.
Maybe one day we would all be able to be honest and open with one another.
With our friends.
With our family.
With our hairstylist.
With our politicians.
With our doctors.
And the list keeps growing. While writing this article I realized that I cannot write something without practicing it myself. I have always been a rather blunt and direct person and there has been pros and cons with that trait I have. Some people are really offended by what I have to say to them and others find it refreshing. My hypothesis is those who are offended have been sweet talked to their whole life so when one person speaks the brutal truth, they get hurt. Even though ignorance is bliss, I personally found that telling the truth is better than being left in the dark. I recommend to all my readers to practice being more honest with yourself first, for then you will become more honest with others.
