Importance of Honesty in Relationships

One of the most important ingredients in every relationship is trust. Trust and honesty usually go hand in hand. Without trust, we cannot feel supported and secure. But, how we can build trust? It is not something that will blossom by itself. Experts believe that we can build trust by being honest, not only with our partner, friends, family members but also with ourselves. They believe that we lose a chance, to be honest whenever we withhold our emotions, opinions, and impressions. It does not mean that we should be 100 percent open about anything. On the contrary, it just means we need to address an important issue and be honest about it. Avoidance, hiding, or lying about our true feelings and perception will make an invisible wall that may create emotional distance and distrust. According to Brene Brown, an American researcher, author and public speaker, a true human connection emerges from a place of vulnerability. This place is for many of us scary because we risk being rejected, not properly understood, or ridiculed. Because of that, to expose true emotions we need courage. We need to take a risk. No one can guarantee that we will not be ridiculed or rejected, but finally, it is worth the effort. When two persons make the connection risking being vulnerable, we call that intimacy. To find out more about the importance of honesty in relationships, the article “Honesty Can Make or Break a Relationship” gives us the following explanation.

Honesty is not just about telling the truth, either. It is also about telling the truth in a way that your partner will hear it and benefit from it. We all want to hear how great we are, of course, but we can also benefit from making some slight adjustments in how we do things. This is where a little honesty from someone you love and trust will help you make the small changes that can make your world a better place.

In this case, honesty needs to be tender. If you have to say something to your loved one that may be unsetting to him or her, I suggest you do it as gently as possible. “Brutal honesty” has gotten a lot of press lately, but I have seen it do more damage than good. You need to present your issues with some degree of kindness. If not, your message may be buried in an avalanche of hurt feelings.You will both be much more able to communicate if your hearts are not wounded in the process.

Often, many of us are having hard times feeling angry, insecure, and blaming each other for their problem. When we go deeper we may realize that the core issue is frequently lack of trust. When we do not feel trust anymore, our relationship is nearing its end. It is not a coincidence that psychologist call lack of trust attachment trauma. Namely, without trust, we do not feel connected, understood, and even loved. Honesty may save our relationships. When we begin to communicate our problems and feelings openly and directly, we will give our partner a chance to learn who we are on the inside. Honesty may give us a chance to start building our relationships on a healthy basis. That is a true importance of honesty in relationships.