Brutal Honesty is Just an Excuse to be Mean
Some people seem to feel the uncontrollable urge to be "brutally honest" nowadays in voicing their opinions about things and other people. They do it without any regards to how badly it can make others feel. They sometimes even go so far as to brag about how brutally honest they are.
Basically, this whole Brutal Honesty thing is just an excuse to be tactless in how one says something to or about others without respecting their dignity. It's an excuse to be downright mean and hostile.
Perhaps it came about with the birth of social media. People feel that they can say whatever they want to, because there is a sense of anonymity. People can be brazen and be tough on-line in ways that they would be afraid to be in person. People who have self esteem issues feel it makes them feel better about themselves to belittle others.
It's interesting to scroll through comments left on blogs or websites to see just how many people are so opinionated- and in such a negative way. This leads to bullying and even carries over beyond social media right into the everyday world. People gang up on others which leads to such tragic consequences for everyone involved.
Brutal honesty breeds disrespect and anger towards others. It leads to the ridicule, abuse and the demeaning of others. During the past several months and especially since the Presidential election, we see an uptick in anti-gay remarks, racial slurs, male and female bashing, and body shaming. It's scary to see how much negativity there is out there.
Why do people feel entitled to be hurtful to others? Why can't people think before they speak and hold back from making unnecessary negative comments? Hopefully we will be able to answer those questions one day and put a stop to brutality in any form. The world would be such a happier more respectful place for sure.
Next time, you hear someone say, "OK, I'm going to be brutally honest!", call him or her out on it and see what you can do to bring more kindness and respect into the world. People should imagine how it is to be on the receiving end of so called "brutal honesty".