The truth speakers
Truth. Isn’t facing it scary, at times?
Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit.
Some people, however are uncaring or too steeped in ‘righteousness’, that they do not hesitate to hurl it at your face. Never mind, if it tramples or even completely, runs over your ego, pride, self respect. By the time these people finish with truth, you feel 2 feet small.(or wish you did not exist at all)
I’m sure all of us know at least one person like that--Someone who does not hesitate to say that you are just average, dumb, not very talented and not good enough. All this, in the guise of ‘being a true friend’ and ‘speaking the truth for your good.’ Most of us continue to tolerate such people.(After all there is ‘truth’ in what they say, right?) Personally, I feel such people are just downright mean, and they feel better by pointing out flaws in you. (Don’t we know our own shortcomings? Do we really need these ‘friends’ to point it out to us?)
For years, philosophers have debated over whether truth is
is subjective, relative, objective, or absolute. I tend to agree with Democritus who said
“Nothing exists except atoms and empty spaces; Everything else is just opinion.”
Now, what can be a greater truth than that?!!
This is excelent, Preeti!
ReplyDeleteI laughed outloud with that first truth. And the second one from Democritus says it all.
Those people are tiring and take all the energy from me.
It's sad. In a way, all of us are just dumb apes waiting for our 15 minutes of fame...
ReplyDeleteBut we tend to think we're quite special with it.
The truth shall set u free but first it will piss u off ...
ReplyDeleteThats true:)
Amazing post, I loved Gloria’s quote and of course Democritus said it all. Yeah, I know someone who is tiresome and downright irritating; he keeps telling others how incompetent they are. He is forceful in his behavior and even made a friend of mine believe that she is good for nothing. Such people only harm others self esteem and the ways to tackle them are never let them get on to your nerves, keep faith in yourself and beat them at their games. That’s what my friend did, and now she is more successful then this all-knowing friend.
ReplyDeleteI guess these kind of people also choose whom to pick on. If they picked on someone tough then they would get it back wholesale. Never had someone try that with me till now. But yeah could be nasty.
ReplyDeleteOh! I love the slinky quote! :-) I had a friend like that at school, she put me down to make herself look and feel good. She reinforced my insecurities adn made me feel awful. The fact is though that this was not truth, it was just plain meaness. True friends accept you for who you are, warts and all! I do not keep poisonous people around me anymore.
ReplyDeleteDemocritus was so so so right!
Devil Mood: Just push them down the stairs.I'll help you. LOL
ReplyDeleteFreelance:Sometimes harmless delusions help us get through. :-)
Jeya : Of course it will.Truth hurts.
Misti: I have a sneaking suspicion what you are talking about.I have mailed you. :-) The best way to tackle them is of course to push them down the stairs.Alternately give them a dose of their own medicine.
Satish: Well said. You are so right. And you do know how to give it back tenfold.Unfortunately all of us arent blessed with such ready and acidic wit.Therefore we resort to simpler means--pushing dowm the stairs works just as well :-)
So true! I just wish I had learned that so much sooner, like back in high school instead of in my 30s, ha ha. The sad thing is, it's really hard to explain to someone younger--about not getting involved in that kind of game playing and knowing who your true friends are. It seems to be something everyone just eventually figures out on their own.
ReplyDeleteMolecules and empty spaces. It is true..in One Hundred years from now..who apart from our family trees will remeber what we did?..what difference will we have made. (I'm sure you have written a post on this subject before Preeti..so if I'm repeating something you have wrote..then it goes to show how much of an impression it has made on me!)The trith is we are here for only a blink in terms of time and space..this is the trith..and it really hurts.
ReplyDeletekatherine: Yes--we all learn our lessons.
ReplyDeleteNiall: Yes--it really does not matter,100 years from now.Those close to us will mourn.For a while.Then they too move on.
Life is like that if every boby is perfect the world would have become a montonous place to live.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, amen.
ReplyDeletePoor Socrates though.
TS
good one...I love speaking the truth most of the times... it throws the others off balance..as they usually never find out whether I am saying the truth or lying...lol
ReplyDeletewhat can be a more greater truth? plenty of things...
1. Those who touch my last slice of pizza shall find themselves awakening on a hospital bed.
2. Those who mess up my hair shall find themselves in the hospital bed, completely bald
so on and so forth...
they are all simple great truths.
actually..they are more like commandments...
anyway..gotta go. catch you next week.
I LOVE the Slinky analogy!
ReplyDeleteDeepak: Yes, it takes all kinds to make up the world.
ReplyDeleteHershey: :-)
Mr.Fab: yeah--I loved it too.
:) good day
ReplyDeleteHello P.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me. Tonight I saw a very moving documentary about a young man who had a strong desire to reconnect with his estranged father. In his documentary, he put the Democritus quote you included in this post. I came to find your blog by googling this quote. When I read your post, it made me weep. This evening I have been lamenting the loss of two dear friends who loved to speak their truths at the expense of others with the excuse that they are just "keeping it real". You are right. We are all very aware of our shortcomings, and if I have ever been mistaken but have not seen it myself, my family has been there to help me be more aware in the most real and sensitive of ways. Friends should be comforting and their friendships should be a refuge. There should be peace and oppenness. Anything else is probably a sign it has been outlived. Thank you for posting this. It was comforting. Namaste. :)