I used to wish that I were honest. I used to make a New Year's resolution to be honest. I'd go around warning everyone in December and then chicken out. I probably should be more honest, overall I'm very meek and don't stand up for anything and then burn with resentment, but I want to be really honest. I want to be honest in the extreme.
I once looked into this christian commune. We visited it as a class once for educational purposes and then I went back several times. I pretty much summed up their whole view of life as scrupulous honesty. They had only one die-hard rule, which was no gossip. If you have a problem with somebody then it's up to you to talk to that person about it. You HAVE to. It is considered the duty of their community to talk about things and be honest. They did every decision by consensus. If everyone else agrees and you disagree, you're not to just bend over and let it happen. It's a duty to speak out, because maybe you're right. If you don't speak out and it all goes wrong, in a way it's your fault for not speaking up. That's just the way they did everything, and it was understood that it was hard. People got bruised egos, but everyone understood that this was the process and this was the best way.
I mentioned that I'd had that idea but never did it, and everyone agreed that outside this commune, it wasn't really safe to be honest. People got upset more easily. They took everything personally and were generally less willing to learn and grow and admit mistakes. I think that it would be a great idea if everyone were honest and were also accepting of a world of honesty. I think it can work out. I wish I could just do it and have people hate me if they would. But I always chicken out.
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Date: 2003-12-03 08:26 pm (UTC)I once looked into this christian commune. We visited it as a class once for educational purposes and then I went back several times. I pretty much summed up their whole view of life as scrupulous honesty. They had only one die-hard rule, which was no gossip. If you have a problem with somebody then it's up to you to talk to that person about it. You HAVE to. It is considered the duty of their community to talk about things and be honest. They did every decision by consensus. If everyone else agrees and you disagree, you're not to just bend over and let it happen. It's a duty to speak out, because maybe you're right. If you don't speak out and it all goes wrong, in a way it's your fault for not speaking up. That's just the way they did everything, and it was understood that it was hard. People got bruised egos, but everyone understood that this was the process and this was the best way.
I mentioned that I'd had that idea but never did it, and everyone agreed that outside this commune, it wasn't really safe to be honest. People got upset more easily. They took everything personally and were generally less willing to learn and grow and admit mistakes. I think that it would be a great idea if everyone were honest and were also accepting of a world of honesty. I think it can work out. I wish I could just do it and have people hate me if they would. But I always chicken out.