The quality of “Sincerity” is sometimes prone to misinterpretation.
It does not mean bluntness or speaking whatever comes to our mind. On the contrary, it merely implies that whatever we say and do is meant and not a pretense.
The ability to create belief in our integrity emerges from the sincerity we portray in our communication.
Our genuinity stems from our thoughts and is conveyed through our oral and verbal communication. It is when our words and actions are seen as sincere that others tend to trust us.
An often made assumption regarding the relationship between praise and success is that it makes the person giving the compliment more popular, therefore more successful with people. This may not necessarily be true in reality. Some of us at some point in our life, may have received a flattering compliment that just wasn’t genuine. While we may have undoubtedly enjoyed listening to it, were we not a trifle cautious regarding the flatterer’s compliment the next time we received one from them?
On the other hand, there are some selected few, from whom we treasure the words of appreciation long after they compliment us.
The key to saying the appropriate appreciative words is derived by developing a positive frame of mind. The more we are quick to tune in to the positive qualities of the person we address and interact with, the more we will observe qualities to appreciate.
Refusing to be negative or declining to join in tarnishing a person’s image, is another way we reflect sincerity.
Ironically, those who indulge in vicious character assassination may enjoy a burst of temporary popularity in the group they are a part of. This euphoria may be however short lived. Very few people trust or respect the actions or words of those who spontaneously enjoy speaking negatively or contemptuously about another.
A few years ago, I found myself in a delicate situation when I was present in a group where the lead “actor’ gave a contemptuous and cringe worthy impersonation of an absent colleague’s verbal mannerism.
A few laughed at the presumed “hilarity”, a few politely and nervously chuckled and then there were a couple of group members who stood silent. Ironically, it was the person who mocked his colleague who revealed a great deal of his personality that day, rather than the colleague he was was attempting to impersonate.
Our conduct is a reflection of who we truly are.
Sincerity enables us to observe and overcome the tendency to get provoked.
This may appear surprising, but I’ve come to realize the more genuine we are with others, we more we develop an inclination to analyse any situation, based on tolerance and understanding. In our wish to convey what we truly believe and feel, our grip regarding our choice of reaction can be thoughtfully considered, before we respond spontaneously.
Sincerity and genuineness helps us have realistic expectation from people.
Thinking about what a person may be experiencing in a situation, may enable us to be more considerate and observant to the other person’s perception and feelings. This helps us to sharpen our ability to empathize and understand people from a different perspective rather than ours.
Experiencing the freedom to be who we are, without any appreciation is one of the fundamental benefits of leading a life where being true matters the most.
By reducing our expectations regarding others, we may find ourselves a lot more at peace and liberty to be who we are. This includes seeking appreciation or praise from others. Achieving an equilibrium of tranquility through a reduction in our expectations from people will benefit our contentment with the world greatly too.
The more we learn to become what we would like to be before the world, the less we will experience the confusion and strain that arises when we act. Hypocrisy is learnt and not inborn. As babies and children we celebrated life without it and thrived too. What stops us from attempting to be as real as we can be as adults?
As adults, the challenges we can face in our determination to refuse hypocrisy in our life may appear daunting. But imagine the joy, the serenity and euphony we can experience when we are the same with ourselves and the world.