Be Sincere and Guarded at the Same Time

Sincerity is openness of heart. It is found in very few, and what is usually seen is subtle dissimulation designed to draw the confidence of others. La Rochefoucauld

It is very rare to find someone who is totally open and sincere. What we generally see when we interact with others, is a façade in which people act in a certain way in order to project a specific image to you. They want to be seen in a certain way and thus they project that image as they interact with other people. Everyone does this at times. The majority of people do this constantly. Some people play the parts of the actor so often that they don’t even know who they really, truly are any more.

Sincerity is indeed a rare thing in today’s society. Most people have some sort of agenda and it is to your advantage to keep this in mind. Always reflect on what it is that the other person is trying to project and why he is trying to project this image to you.

What is his real agenda? Is he really being open and sincere, or are you only getting to see the stage production, carefully scripted to influence you at an emotional level? It is important that you learn to discern between the two.

It is important to be sincere and to be who you really are, but at the same time, it is wise to be careful concerning how much of yourself you allow others to see. You must use caution when it comes to totally opening up to someone, and then be very careful about how much you say and what you say.

It is possible to be sincere and yet be guarded and careful at the same time. Be yourself and be sincere, but be careful and use good judgment in your dealings with others. Bohdi Sanders ~ author of the multiple award-winning book, The Art of Inner Peace, available from Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937884279. Signed copies are available from: https://www.the-art-of-inner-peace.com/.