Honesty vs Privacy

Yesterday, my dear friend asked me about the paradox between ABSOLUTE HONESTY and PERSONAL PRIVACY. That made me think and reflect a lot.

Here's what I wrote back to him:

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According to my understanding, ABSOLUTE HONESTY means we live as our true self. Any word or action is according to our inner intention and thought. And we’ve got nothing to hide, both good and bad, or running away from the past, present and future. We fully acknowledge whatever happened, happening and will happen to our life.

From my view, here’s the trick: HONESTY also means we choose to be authentic as the way we are – we choose which parts of our life to share to the world WITH NO SHAME OR GUILT of which haven’t been shared. People can see our HONESTY by the way we live, the way we treat our past and people and the way we react to situation but NO ONE HAVE RIGHT TO DEMAND us to prove our honesty. We have the right to choose what can be revealed and whom to share. But the only reason for what we hold back is “I  DON’T WANT TO SHARE IT” (not to you or not now). That’s PERSONAL PRIVACY.

Honesty is the individual responsibility – so we have nothing to do with other’s honesty but ourselves. We couldn't in the name of honesty make use of other’s personal privacy (or their truth) against their will. Of course, some situation we may come to decide revealing the truth without any permission (for example: unmask a liar). The question is how can we know when we should intervene – ask our own conscience.

The PURE HONESTY cannot be seen even in the nature. We can’t see through the bottom of a 10-meter-deep-pool no matter how pure it’s water is (because of our eye vision, the light,…), we can’t see through the bark of a tree unless we chop it down and examine what inside – but then the tree no more exists. Water is wholeness, a tree is wholeness – we can only feel and know that.

The same with human being, PERSONAL PRIVACY keep us alive and the ability to be real. For my opinion, the truth can set me free – but keeping the truth give me true authentic and the right to control my life.

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