| Interesting piece, one part struck at me as a bit ironic, and overly lawyerly. On one hand the author says: "The truth has a great capacity to offend and injure, and you will find that the closer you are to someone, the more care you must take to disguise or even conceal the truth." and "Often, there is great virtue in being evasive, or equivocating....It takes great maturity to appreciate the value of silence." On the other hand he says: "Every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross.
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It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions." There is great contradiction in these two opposing statements. First of all - the example that he cites, Jesus being nailed to the cross, is a fallacy. Jesus was killed as a direct result of his truth telling at all times, convenient and not - and his sticking to his convictions. Second - I wonder if greatness, or love or hatred for that matter is worth achieving if you not been honest in attaining it. If you withhold the truth you feel in your heart, feel comfort in silence and make sure not to step on any toes - the recognition that you receive must also be a false one. Greatness made by silencing the truth follows "be loved" Both require "much compromise. If one changes one’s looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone." |