Candour

“Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.”
William Blake

Candour refers to the act of being honest or direct, whether it is refreshing or distasteful. Voltaire (the assumed name of François Marie Arouet, 18th-century French writer and philosopher) thought that the great consolation in life is to say what one thinks. We should not be ashamed to speak what we shame not to think because candour is proof of a just frame of mind and of a good tone of breeding. Ben Jonson (17th-century English dramatist and poet) once had the following to say with regard to frankness (the emphasis is mine):

Ramp up my genius, be not retrograde;
But boldly nominate a spade a spade.

How many times do we hide the truth because we are afraid that we might hurt someone in expressing how we feel? Do you even realise that you can cause more pain by not being honest and frank? Why do we lie to people?  Why not be honest and let the other party know how you feel. If someone knows exactly where they stand with you, how you feel about something or someone, then think how much misunderstandings and conflict can be eliminated in the process.

I think radical candour may iron out many wrong assumptions that people continuously make about others. The Irish writer, Oscar Wilde, said that this kind of behavior becomes more than a moral duty, it actually becomes a pleasure when you start speaking your mind.  I just need to add a final thought. If you decide to be radically honest, just remember, always practice tact in the process. Tactless radical honesty may cause more harm than you may realise. Nonetheless, frankness in your daily talk is surely not a bad trait to practice.


Rather hurt me with your honesty,
than deceive me with a smile;
candidness is dearer to me,
than deceit – which is bitter on the tongue, like bile.



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