Honesty is Underrated

There are so many things I don't have the courage to voice out loud. Or maybe I just don't want to be accountable for my honest opinions and some my actions. I don't want to be judged, labelled or catagorized. When I really look at the people out there, I don't know why I should be afraid. There is a lack of honesty in our society, so I guess I'm not the only one who is a coward. To be honest is to be vulnerable, to offer overselves up to the evaluation of those around us.

I suppose we are all afraid because we are quick to find fault in each other, to pick out the weaknesses and flaws. Maybe it's because society insists upon us being better than those around us, claiming superiority. Our culture seems focused on pushing others down to get to the top of the heap, instead of helping others up with us.

We don't measure our own or other's worth by the good we contribute to society, but we are measured by financial status, belongings or appearance. We often are not held accountable for the little injustices we dole out daily, if we had to be honest about them maybe things would be different. How is it possible that we forget the person across the counter from us, or living next door to us deserves as much respect and compassion as we do.

We devalue the lives of the cashiers at the local convenience store, the fat people on the street, the janitors who clean up after us, the other nationalities who haven't quite mastered English yet. Not to mention the drug addicts, the disabled and other castasides. Who are we to belittle the lives of others, it is only a matter of chance that we are living the lives we have.

The cruelty of mankind disgusts and saddens me. I just wish that we all could experience empathy, and think of everyone around us as ourselves under different circumstances.