Tag: truth

People think if they had the power to read minds it would lead to easier communication.
The surprising thing is, there would be very little improvement from what you have already.
The assumption is you’d get a more accurate “truth” because you’d know exactly how people feel instead of what they tell you.
Over the years of my experience, however, I’ve found most people say exactly what they mean.
The words they speak, and the words I hear in their head are remarkably similar.
The only time that’s not the situation is when there’s coercion: either someone trying to lie to me, or I’m trying to lie to them.
Think about the times you’d lie to someone.
You might lie to keep a surprise birthday party, well, a surprise. You might lie to get something you want. You might lie to preserve your safety.
Everybody else is the same. Very few people are telling you premeditated lies non-stop.
The most common reason people have for lying is controlling an outcome: whether it’s preserving their safety, getting something they want (but haven’t earned), or preserve the illusion of trust when it’s been violated.
There’s a way to make sure people don’t lie to you though. Give everything away. Show them you can be trusted with the truth.
Choose to believe people when they tell you how they feel. Make them feel safe sharing thoughts, feelings, and ideas with you. Don’t criticizing them when they open up.
If you choose to believe people at face value, you might be surprised how honest people become.
So if you want the magical power of mind reading to learn when people are telling the truth, you can start by practicing telling the truth, yourself.