Monday Column: When your life is an open book

When you have no secrets and nothing to lie about everything ahead is straightforward and you do not have to look over your shoulders for possible attacks on your character.

Otherwise you will carry an emotional ton of secrets that weigh more than a physical weight. You will not have to justify anything to anyone, your family, friends or even office colleagues. Like a book, you can live every day that dawns on you like changing a new page. But hang on, is it that simple?

You may say that you can sleep easier because you have nothing to hide but you may leave yourself open to a fair degree of ridicules and even criticism because you don’t mince your words when you talk to people.

Not everyone appreciates when you speak straight from your mind.  Or, to put it in another way, behave openly without a ‘filter.’ At least, you may argue, that people around you know exactly what is expected from you. You do not flatter saying ‘nice’ when you see ‘bad’. That is exactly you do when you lead an open book lifestyle.

But you may want to justify what honesty is all about. You don’t disguise the truth by sugar-coating your words. It basically means that you are transparent. You don’t put on a mask, either. When you smile, you mean it and when you are angry, you show it. Be genuine. To be blunt and simple means you do not lie. You are not kind to people when you tell them the opposite of the truth.

How many times did you come across this question, “am I fat?” and you quickly say “no, you are not” when you know you are lying. That is straight dishonesty. There is no justification. But sometimes it all depends on your body language when you tell the truth and follow up with a little explanation. For example, you could always say, “ a little bit overweight but you could easily start losing it by exercising.”

Being an open book also means your friends know what to expect from you in any situation. You don’t deal differently with different people.

You are consistent and soon your friends will now that you are very reliable. You will have a reputation of always being true to them and not false. But mind you, maintaining an open book lifestyle does not always win friends. But if you are consistent enough, they will learn to adapt to you and appreciate your honesty. Another advantage is that you simplify your life because it is all about your sanity and happiness.

But what about your private emotions? An open book people also means they open themselves up when there is an emotional tangle up. They freely talk about their problems and as soon as they do that, they feel lighter and happier. That’s how they keep their sanity, both inwardly and outwardly.

In conclusion, if you are an open book person, then you can take for comfort that no one learns anything from a closed book.