Honesty With Ourselves

Many people would never think of stealing from you or even telling a blatant lie to your face. Such persons would therefore view themselves as honest. However, there is another type of honesty that is the title of this piece. It is the hardest honesty to carry out, and it is not easy to realise we even have an issue with it.

How is this problem manifest? Well, the thought process starts with what one wants an answer to be, and then we let that lead us to a conclusion. This gives a comfortable answer that we feel we can live with. Self honesty could lead to a conclusion that is uncomfortable, even painful. So we don't go there. If that is how we reason, then there is a problem with self-honesty. Such a person reluctantly or never admits errors, and is always justifying him or herself.

How do we beat it? When we analyse something, we have to let the facts dictate what the truth is. If this brings us to an awkward realisation, so be it. Then we can contemplate how we can learn from this, change and become a better person. It's how we achieve personal growth. It also makes us feel better within as well, due to it lifting our self esteem as we improve ourselves.

The Perfect Employee?

1 Bob Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found
2 hard at work at his desk. He works independently, without
3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never
4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and always
5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended
6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
7 breaks. Bob is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no
8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
9 knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be
10 classed as an asset employee, the type which cannot be
11 dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be
12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
13 executed as soon as possible.

Addendum:
That idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly re-read only the odd numbered lines.

Flowers

Many aspects of human sexuality are very puzzling. Take celibacy. This can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by environmental factors.

While attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend, Tony and Josie listened to the instructor declare: 'It is essential that husbands and wives both know the things that are important to each other.'

He addressed the men. 'Can you each name and describe your wife's favourite flower?'

Tony leaned over, touched Julie's arm gently and whispered, 'Self-raising, isn't it?'

Thus began Tony's life of celibacy.