Truth and Compassion

Truth is where I started in life. I decided somehow at a young age that "Truth" was the most important thing. I lived this ideal as best I could. However, at times I saw how cruel truth was and as I moved into my teens and 20s began to see that truth killed as often as it saved people. This made me rethink my Ideal of Truth.

In my mid 20s I came to the realization that though truth is important one must lead with compassion and kindness. It's not that one should abandon truth, No!

The point is to try not to just kill everyone with the truth just because you can. Just to make a point.

Because people can actually die from the truth. Do you want to be responsible for that?

Say, you know someone is cheating in a marriage with someone else. Do you rush over and tell the cheated upon one that fact? Some people would. Say there are children in that relationship or marriage and because you told that fact those children are never going to see their father (or their mother ever again). Do you want this on your head? Do you want to be responsible for that or worse what if the cheated upon person withdraws into insanity or just offs themselves right there and then?

There is that famous movie with Jack Nicholson where he says "You Can't handle the truth!" This is true. Many people can't handle the truth without killing themselves or just going insane.

So, I find I often lead with compassion rather than the truth. I might know all sorts of things that might cause people en masse to kill themselves. Why should I do that?

I've been close to suicide myself, especially from ages 21 to 25 when I couldn't be with the friends I wanted to see or with  the girl or girls I wanted to be with.

Should I just have killed myself? Because life was too hard to go on living?

I wanted to very badly. But, I realized that in the end I just wasn't selfish enough to do that to my parents because I'm an only child. So, I fought it and stayed alive.

After that, my view of truth became quite different.

My point of view now is people need to believe whatever it is that keeps them alive. Too many have died before their time already.

Compassion one should always lead with. Compassionate right mindful truth if one can manage it has and will save the world.

It is not compassionate to lie to people. But, to offer truth unasked for that might kill people is to potentially kill yourself or murder yourself too by accident.

So, be compassionate what truths you offer up to people. What if you were the one listening?
What would happen to you if you heard certain truths in the wrong context?

So, I find Compassionate right mindful truth is the best always. Be compassionate and be wise and keep people alive if you can.