Truth telling

An act of courage and kindness

In a world that often values convenience over candour, choosing to tell the truth is a radical and transformative act.

Being authentically honest requires an immense amount of courage, as it involves not just speaking the truth to others but also being truthful with oneself.

This journey is not always easy, but it is profoundly rewarding. When we commit to honesty, we build a foundation of trust and integrity that enriches our relationships and fortifies our character.

Telling the truth is an act of kindness. It may not always feel kind in the moment, especially when the truth is difficult to hear or share, but honesty fosters genuine connections. It allows us to be seen for who we truly are and to see others in their authentic selves.

This vulnerability can be transformative, as it breaks down walls and cultivates deep, meaningful bonds. Moreover, when we are truthful, we empower others to be honest as well, creating a ripple effect that can transform entire communities.

Truthfulness serves as the bedrock upon which human relationships are constructed. It is the precursor to trust, and trust, in turn, paves the way for cooperation. Without truth, sustainable success in our interactions with others becomes elusive.

Consider this: Trust is like the air we breathe, the food we consume, and the words we hear. It relies on our implicit faith in one another and in the institutions that shape our society. When truth is upheld, trust flourishes, and our lives feel more secure^.

The Edelman Trust Barometer is a really interesting statistical tool that illustrates trust within countries. The UK has less than 40% trust with the US only slightly ahead with 46%.

The lack of trust in the public domain can have significant consequences. Some of the ways it impacts all of us are:

1. Diminished Innovation:

   • When trust erodes, collaboration and knowledge-sharing decline.

   • Innovation thrives in an environment of trust, where ideas can flow freely and build upon existing knowledge.

2. Stifled Creativity:

   • A lack of trust restricts access to shared resources.

   • The public domain, which should be a wellspring of creativity, suffers when trust wanes.

3. Reduced Access to Information:

   • Trust enables open access to cultural artifacts, scientific research, and educational materials.

   • Without trust, barriers emerge, limiting our ability to learn and grow.

Trust in the public domain is essential for progress, creativity, and equitable access to knowledge.

Without it society, and the individuals within it, will move backwards which is for me a huge alarm bell that we all need to listen to.

Misinformation and deception in the public domain are key to breakdown in trust and can be attributed to many environmental factors.

A few key reasons being:

1. Copyright Restrictions (Interestingly):

   • Until recently, restrictive copyright laws prevented many cultural artifacts from entering the public domain.

   • The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which kept media made in 1923 from entering the public domain in the United States, hindered access to valuable content.

   • As a result, creative works were locked away, limiting their availability and potentially stifling new creations. This is really interesting as historically leaps forward for humanity are associated with cultural renaissances and revolutions!

2. Media Manipulation and Disinformation:

   • In our digital age, misinformation spreads easily due to the lack of effective regulation for social media platforms, mainstream media and the pandemic of greed that marks these times.

   • Harmful lies have proliferated virulently, impacting public understanding and trust.

   • Deliberate disinformation campaigns exploit vulnerabilities in our information ecosystem.

3. Lost Cultural Artifacts:

   • Over time, around 70% of material from 1923 has been lost due to practices like destroying unprofitable media or re-recording over old tapes.

   • Waiting for copyrights to expire is often a race against degradation, resulting in lost historical context and creativity.

4. Neurobiology of Deception:

   • Deception is a complex cognitive process involving brain regions related to decision-making, risk-taking, cognitive control, and reward processing.

   • Detecting deception remains challenging, but advancements in brain imaging techniques (like fMRI and PET scans) offer hope for understanding it as a neurobiological phenomenon.

   • Deception is increasingly used to influence the masses on how to behave, what to buy and what to believe.

A combination of legal barriers, technological challenges, and human behaviour contributes to the prevalence of lies, mistrust and misinformation in the public domain.

Rebuilding trust after it’s broken requires intentional effort and time.

Here is what we need to consider:

1. Acknowledge the Breach: Admit the breach of trust openly and honestly. Avoid minimising or deflecting responsibility.

2. Apologise Sincerely: A genuine apology shows remorse. Acknowledge the hurt caused and express regret.

3. Consistent Behavior: Consistently demonstrate trustworthiness through actions. Keep promises and follow through.

4. Open Communication: Foster transparent dialogue. Discuss expectations, boundaries, and concerns openly.

5. Patience and Empathy: Understand that rebuilding trust takes time. Show empathy toward the others’ feelings.

6. Learn from Mistakes: Reflect on what led to the breach. Commit to personal growth and change.

Rebuilding trust is a process, and it requires commitment from both parties.

I see little of the above being done despite the data saying trust and lack of it a huge issue within certain countries. I also see little being pledged to do the above. Talking reconciliation should be the parent of action, not the whole family tree.

Embracing truthfulness is a brave choice.

It means facing the potential discomfort, confrontation, or even rejection that may come from being open and transparent.

Yet, this bravery is not without reward. Living honestly liberates us from the burden of deceit and the anxiety of being caught in a lie. It allows us to live in alignment with our values, providing a sense of inner peace and self-respect.

Telling the truth always is an act of integrity, bravery, and kindness that has the power to transform both our own lives and the lives of those around us.

I have been speaking a lot to many people about how they are feeling in 2024. It has turned into more than just conversation into meaningful discourse.

It is not an easy topic to talk about as many people are traumatised (I do not use that term lightly), bereft, grieving, feeling huge loss, and in some cases suffering a loss of identity due to events since 2020.

I have, myself, spoke with close friends about the need to create a new world, as the old one is increasingly damaging, toxic and diminishing.

New political regimens no longer bring optimism or hope, just more damaging rhetoric and stifling policies.

It is difficult though to create the new, when the old is still at work within the human psyche, especially when the old is based upon traumatic events.

Trauma can significantly impact a person’s ability to move forward.

Here are some key points in the recovery journey to consider:

1. Stages of Trauma Recovery:

   • Pre-trauma characteristics: These are the traits and viewpoints you held before the trauma.

   • Rumination: Your brain processes the trauma, leading to strong feelings and intrusive memories.

   • Event centrality: You assess how trauma has changed your life and decide on your path forward.

   • Control: You actively take steps to cope with trauma symptoms.

   • Mastery: You adjust to your new life, refining coping skills.

2. Healing Isn’t a Competition:

   • Everyone’s recovery journey is unique. Comparing yourself to others isn’t helpful.

   • Focus on your progress, no matter how small. Healing takes time and isn’t linear.

3. Safety and Stabilisation:

   • Establish safety as a foundation for recovery. How is this even possible?

   • Create a supportive environment and seek professional help if needed.

4. Remembrance and Mourning:

   • Process the trauma by remembering and grieving.

   • Allow yourself to feel emotions and seek support.

5. Reconnection and Integration:

   • Reconnect with core values, find joy, and rebuild relationships.

   • Use coping skills to live life fully.

The research around truth telling and trauma reveal fascinating insights into how our brains process traumatic experiences and the role of truth telling in healing.

What do we need to know?

1. Memory Formation and Neural Networks:

   • When a traumatic event occurs, our brain processes it by strengthening neural connections. These connections are reinforced through repeated activation of specific groups of neurons.

   • Researchers have used innovative methods, including optical and machine-learning approaches, to decode the brain’s neuronal networks during trauma memory creation .

   • The dorsal part of the medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a crucial role in associative fear memory retrieval . This region helps link different networks associated with conditioned and unconditioned stimuli.

2. Truth Telling and Healing:

   • Sharing our trauma story is a form of truth telling. It reduces negative emotional load and corrects distorted beliefs about ourselves and the world.

   • By recounting our experiences, we create new associations and connections.

   • Truth telling can free us from the grip of trauma, allowing healing to begin .

Remember, any journey toward trauma healing involves both understanding the neuroscience and embracing the power of truth telling.

When we consider the trauma journey, it is not a surprise to me that so many people feel unheard, stuck. angry, fearful, a desire to escape, isolation, loneliness. When, and, where have these people been able to access a media to recount their experiences?

There are certain mechanisms, that supposedly are for this purpose, but they too are flawed and give no relief to what people are feeling. If indeed people can access them at all.

What we really need to do is all have courage.

We all need the courage to press pause and understand the traumatised brain.

The traumatised brain needs time, it needs energy, it needs understanding and it needs to be able to acknowledge the truth.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa was established by the new government in 1995. Its purpose was to heal the country and promote reconciliation by uncovering the truth about human rights violations during the apartheid era. Unlike the Nüremberg trials, which prosecuted Nazis after World War II, the TRC focused on gathering evidence and information rather than just prosecuting individuals for past crimes.

The commission released its final report in 2003, emphasising accountability and healing. It allowed victims and perpetrators to share their experiences openly, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the past.

Over the past three decades, more than 40 countries have established truth commissions similar toSouth Africa’s. Some of these countries include Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Philippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and South Korea. These commissions aim to uncover past wrongdoing, recognise victims, and promote healing and reconciliation.

As a person who has researched the impact of environmental factors on human beings, I know how useful this approach would be.

There is a substantial part of the population who are entirely traumatised, not through actions of their own, but because of an environment forced upon them.

We literally have millions of people who are not able to be their best, be productive, have meaning or purpose, retain an identity, or feel valued or like they matter in society.

This is a huge issue.

We need to start a truth and reconciliation process for all who need it.

Not an inquiry, not a contrived bit of media theatre, but a place of truth.

It is also not enough for this to be a toothless tiger, to inspire trust in society again there needs to be consequences for lies, deceit, corruption, mal, mis and disinformation plus the senseless repitition of stock epithets designed to influence people to be the lowest, common, controlled, denominator.

Human beings have the ability to be the best problem solvers, the greatest altruists, the warmest comfort, have cognitive accuracy and be wise and insightful.

This is not being encouraged. Not at all.

Many feel they are being hobbled, disabled and rendered powerless.

This needs to be different.

I value courage a lot and indeed it is one of my traits in life.

I live in courage.

In truth and in courage.

This can be extremely uncomfortable for people who avoid truths, who want to replace courage with compliance and/or have selfish motivators.

I do not apologise for who I am, but it is a difficult world to live in when truth, courage, kindness, and a desire for humanity to be its best not its worst, are the principles and pillars of my integrity.

This piece was about truth telling and having the courage, motivation and the why we need to.

It also acknowledges those who need to be heard, who need to be witnessed, who need to be seen. Those who are both in my tribe and those who I have yet to find.

I see you, I hear you and I feel you.

I am musing over the most effective way to create truth and reconcililation (plus growth) processes so that we are able to have creativity, innovation, optimism, care, intelligence, as looking at the world, we surely need it.

I am in a rush to want to create a new world, but I know that until the spectres of the old are given time to be dispelled and lessons learned, none of that can happen.

We cannot build new on the foundations of old, without understanding the cracks, the weaknesses and the potential for rotting.

So today embrace candour, realise that convenience is not a long term strategy, and transform yourself by living in radical honesty.

Gather your courage to be authentically honest, living well, with integrity, especially when noone is watching.

The best journeys journey are never easy, but are profoundly rewarding. Read my writing on motivation and reward to remind yourself of the benefits of hard work.

When we ALL commit to honesty, we build societal foundations of trust and integrity that enriches all our lives, that really can then begin to create that better world.

In a room where
people unanimously maintain
a conspiracy of silence,
one word of truth
sounds like a pistol shot.