"It is also possible to be a pain in the rear about truth, or anything else. I have been helped sometimes by an old yogic saying, 'Truth is good, but it also needs to be helpful, necessary, and kind.'" Stephen Gaskin (in a "Sun" magazine interview).
Do you know what is difficult for me in that statement? The "necessary" part. If it's not 'necessary', I need to think twice....not just jump in and let loose, stirring the pot, strutting my stuff because I (think) I know the 'truth'. Well, the truth of the matter is that an emphasis needs to be placed on the helpful and kind part. This isn't always easy. Many years ago, a man I was engaged to was cheating on me. A close friend didn't tell me. When I asked her later about it, she said, "I'd never seen you so happy; I couldn't be the one to burst that bubble." I'm not sure if that was helpful, necessary, or kind not to reveal the truth, but it was understandable. We struggle with this 'truth' issue, recognizing it is not always clear-cut, even when we "do unto others" what we hope they'd do for us. Be gentle. - Beth Almond Ford
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