Wednesday, November 9, 2022

day no. 16,088: clarity is kindness

"Clarity is kindness." -- Paige Van Voorst

I will grant you that being intentionally vague for the sake of sparing someone's feelings may be well-intentioned in one sense, if you will grant me that it is also ill-intentioned in another.

To know what is true and say something else is what they used to call "lying." 

"Beware the flatterer." -- John Bunyan, Pligrim's Progress

Kindness requires clear words. Cloudiness leaves people perhaps feeling okay, but it also often leaves many unanswered questions loitering around. It's nice to feel nice, but it's not kind to make someone feel something that is out of sync with reality so that you can spare yourself the discomfort of being responsible for them feeling less than nice.

Clear instruction is kindness. Vague sentiments make it impossible to discern the commander's intent and leaves those, especially the ones eager to please, unclear as to how to obey. 

Communicating clearly is loving kindness to those who look up to you.

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