4 Tips To Speak Honestly And Empathetically
How to speak honestly and empathetically with others? Honesty is a fundamental value when it comes to relating to other people. No one likes to know that he has been deceived or betrayed. This inevitably results in a loss of confidence in the person who lied.
However, when it comes to being honest, not everything works, especially if we keep in mind that the feelings of others are at stake. Therefore, honesty and empathy are two concepts that must go hand in hand.
In today’s societies, individualism, competitiveness and incomprehensible independence predominate. Because of this, we sometimes assume that honesty is the best option, but we forget the consequences that our words can have on others. How to be honest and empathetic at the same time? We will explain them below.
What is honesty?
Honesty is the ability to align one’s thoughts, words, and actions. In this way, you express what you think is true and, in the same way, you act according to what you think and say. Honestly, there is no room for lies, hypocrisy or hiding. There is no room for empty words or broken promises.
An honest person tells the truth even if the consequences are not favorable. It is a personal value closely linked to integrity and respect for oneself and others.
What is empathy?
Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in another person’s shoes so that we can understand his or her thinking process to identify the emotions he or she is experiencing. To be empathetic means to be attentive to the other person’s inner and emotional world, to put yourself in the place of the one in front of you.
An empathetic person does not judge, lie, or humiliate himself because he understands the repercussions these acts may have on the other. And, stopping to feel that pain, he chooses the path of understanding, touching, and human warmth.
What is the relationship between these values?
Although at first glance it seems that honesty and empathy are two different terms, their conjunction is essential in everyday life. One without the other can have negative consequences.
For example, an excess of empathy leads to lying to avoid hurting the other. We know this phenomenon as “innocent lies”. This, although it can avoid short-term conflicts, can lead to feelings of guilt and provoke a sense of betrayal when the other discovers dishonesty.
But on the other hand, empathy without empathy is not functional either. Being direct and sincere without considering the emotional aspect can make others perceive us as rude or tactless. Consequently, we may experience social rejection or interpersonal conflicts.
4 tips to speak honestly and empathetically
2. Be assertive
Assertive communication is a must. Sometimes the fear of being rejected causes us to lie down to try to thank others. For this reason, we need to improve our self-confidence and learn to be assertive.
Similarly, if we let go of aggression and are unable to control our impulses, we can hurt the other person with our words. Remember that in order to assert our point of view, we must not underestimate the other.
