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The Art of Honesty and Genuineness

Character Core of the Month

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with someone feeling like everything they said was rehearsed and insincere? That never feels very nice and can easily skew your opinion of them. It is very difficult to be open and honest with your thoughts and opinions if the other person is indifferent or fake when you’re talking about your thoughts and opinions. Sincerity is not always easy, but thankfully it is a learned quality that you can always improve.
The most important thing to remember when trying to be sincere is that you can’t fake sincerity. Sincerity can be described as a mix of honesty and genuineness. Faking sincerity is the exact opposite of these characteristics.

If you are having trouble being sincere, here are several things to think about:

  1. Sincere people are honest and genuine. If you don’t enjoy Reeses Cups, don’t say that you enjoy eating Reeses Cups just to enter a conversation or to make someone feel better.
  2. Sincere people keep their word. Don’t make elaborate promises that you don’t intend to keep. Yes, you might fail to keep a promise, but don’t make flippant promises, knowing that you won’t keep them.
  3. Sincere people don’t use fake flattery to get what they want. Only compliment people if you mean it. For example, it will confuse and hurt someone, if you compliment their outfit, then they later hear you talking to other people about how you dislike their outfit.
  4. Sincere people express their gratefulness for what people do for them. This is part of their want to be genuine. They want others to know what they appreciate about them.

Being open with your feelings and dreams makes you vulnerable to others. However, if you are aware that there is a possibility that the other person may be insincere, it will soften the blow when you feel their insincerity. Remember that everyone is on their own journey and the other person might be so overwhelmed with their own journey, that they are not able to be excited about your feelings and dreams.
Sincerity is all about being real with people through your words and actions. Sometimes it’s difficult to be open and honest enough to reveal your true self, but other people can often sense your sincerity. More people will trust you if they can see that you’re a sincere person.