Do I Look Fat? No Dear, Of Course Not!

Why Can't We Be Truthful to Our Friends & Loved Ones About What We Are Really Thinking?

You & your girlfriend are getting ready for a night out on the town, she tries on a super tight spandex dress she bought during her "skinny phase" and asks, "Do I Look Fat?" Your mind starts racing for the right answer. This could be the start of a great night out or turn into a disaster. Even though you might be thinking she put on a couple of pounds you stutter, "Of Course Not! You Look Great!" She smiles and gives you a kiss. Who ooh, That was close! If you spoke the truth you might of gotten a jab on the jaw instead of a peck on the lips!

Hurting Someone's Feelings Is The #1 Reason Why We Don't Always Speak Our Mind.

We don't want the other person to feel bad about themselves or feel like they are not good enough. So when my friend shows me her new song she wrote (the one she worked so hard on) really sucks, I can't help tell her how wonderful and the song is, I don't want the girl to start crying or feel bad! Honestly it really has nothing to do with her, it's me that doesn't want to feel bad, awkward or uncomfortable while expressing my true feelings. Same goes for telling your girlfriend she looks fat. Do you want to put up with her emotional roller-coaster of tears and yelling or do you want to have a calm fun night with a chance of getting lucky? Keeping our true feeling from others can prevent us from stress or arguments in the present moment, but can hurt all of us in the long run.

People Thrive off Praise & Compliments, They Are Constantly Looking For Approval From Others

Positive feedback encourages people to continue their same behavior and decisions that they have been complimented on. If my friend's music sucks and I tell her it's great, she will think shes on the right path and continue to create crap. If I tell her straight up, "Your music sucks!", then she will doubt herself and probably stop showing me her works. A perfect example of expressing your true feelings and not hurting the other person's feelings is to start off with a positive comment, then suggest other options. Example 1: Your girlfriend asks you, "Do I Look Fat?", respond by saying, "Of course you don't look fat! (color) looks nice on you but, I really like how sexy you look in (other dress)!" Example 2: Your friend asks, "Do you like my new song?", respond with, "Yeah, I love the lyrics! Maybe you could change the melody a bit to make it sound even better." This approach will spare other's feelings and prevent future headaches for you. You are still expressing your true feelings, but worded the right can benefit everyone.

We All Expect Our Friends & Loved Ones To Be Completely Honest With Us

They are the people we trust most in this crazy world. Our friends and loved ones think they are protecting our feelings, but really they are releasing us to the wolves to be devoured. If I look fat in my dress, please tell me so I can wear something that I look amazing in. If my song sucks, please warn me before I'm booed off stage in front of a crowd! We want our friends and loved ones to be happy and succeed in life. Stop hindering them because of your own fears and insecurities. The more truthful you are and with the right approach, we can make better choices and drive each other in the right direction.

#Truth #Love #Advice #Family #Friends