Missives03

Third Constitutional Letter for Azeroth and Kalimdor

Honesty, truth. What do these really mean? Truth can be defined by plethora of possibilities, from that which is to the absence of deciet, error or deception, but how highly do we value it? If one looks horrible in thier wedding dress, do you tell the bride she should have shot her seamstress? No, not at all. Honest? Certainly not, but did not that break from honesty or candor spare a set of feelings?

What I propose here is that there is a certain balancing act on how trustworthy we can be, either as individuals or as societies. The suspension of absolute candor and blunt commentary would make neighbors the consumate enemy, because the suspension of some candor spares one the pain of an answer or a question they did not truly desire.

We do, however, require a certain amount of honesty to provide for the goodwill that allows society to function. Law is based on a certain amount of trust, a certain tendency of mutual honesty, with penalties for its breach. In our relationships, we may well find this is the same, that the penalties are merely personal rather than societal.

I realize of course that this discourse is unspecific and detatched, and by doing so is deminished in its impact for the hope that the concpet of Honesty or Truth will not be deminished by my attempting to tie them to specific examples. Perhaps then if I ask both myself and you, oh reader, to look inwardly. How honesty with yourself are you? While I implore you to ask the question, I do not expect you to answer so quickly. Were one to say so quicikly with certainty their answer, I would doubt its sincerity since few can really reflect in as much time as it takes to write or read these lines.

Even in our own introspection, there lies a certain amount of uncertainty in how honest we can be with even ourselves, alone in the darkness between waking and sleeping. Truth is a horrific, terrible thing, which can shake us to the quick and leave us as a reed before the storm. It is perhaps in these moments that the sparks of epiphany might come, landing upon this canvas of dark or light. It can burn away the masterpieces of yesterday, the confidences of today, or the dreams of tommorrow all in a single instant, just as quickly as it can salve wounds of the heart or mind, refresh the spirit, or crush a desire. Ask carefully then, how honestly you can look at yourself?

I shall be joining you in doing so.

Her imperfect and unworthy, but sincere handmaiden,

Nininue

Back to the Repository Second Constitutional Letter to Azeroth

((Begun 9 October, published 15 October 2006))