...truth = overrated...

"the truth shall set you free".

it's probably true. it has set a lot of people free, but is it actually worth it? does it do any good?

case in point:
longtime lovers break up. guy had another girl. if girls have a "girl thing", us guys certainly have a "guy thing"... i kept it, knowing it is damaging to their relationship. then girl asks for help. i oblige, giving as limited advice as i can because i wouldn't want to be the cause of the break up. then piece by piece, girl unravels whatever is being kept from her. then i confirmed or denied what she knew to some extent. girl becomes confused. she cried a lot. guy finally came to his senses, blogs about what he was feeling. with my newfound commitment to "truth", i gave girl access to my account so that she can view guy's blog which was mostly about her. then girl gets pissed at guy because she claims that guy sometimes shares too much to his friends. guy thinks there's a snitch somewhere. i suspect someone too. then recently, i came to know that the blog was meant for guy's friends only, and only his chosen users could read it. im trying to help these two out as much as i can, but as it seems, the more "truth" i give out just for one to know what the other is feeling, the more that i cause that rift to grow.

case #2:
confession to prevent "misinterpretation". girl likes guy, a confession brought about by trust. girl's worried that things might change, especially if other people get to know it. and besides, it is awkward for a girl to confess to a guy, and she understands that. but she's worried that infatuation might turn to misinterpretation of motives/events the more that she keeps it to herself. so i convince her to take the plunge. and i gave her the respect she deserves and kept it to myself. not even my closest friends got to know it. so then the day came and she confessed. what happened came as a surprise to us both, but she said she didn't expect anything anyway, she just wanted that out of her head. guy then assures girl that it will stay between the two of them.

then guy's friend who's having trouble himself, talks to me about his problem, but offers a blind item, not knowing i had an idea of what he knew. then he confirms what i think he knows, and we talk about it. as it seems, guy tells friends about the confession while (well, to me it seems) high on the "serious talk" that's happening around the drinking session. my initial reaction was "what the hell.." because i actually thought guy would be true to his word. i felt betrayed. i kept it from everyone i know out of respect for them both, and then learn that guy actually tells the story to some friends (well, 3/4 trustworthy people isn't probably that bad anyway)? i was pissed. and i don't know who would understand me better but girl herself. so i go about telling her that she musn't be surprised if someone walks up to her to confirm her confession because apparently, guy told some friends. girl gets pissed. we talked the whole time. by my third message, i realize the mistake i did once again. in speaking the "truth" to girl, i compromised my friendship to guy because as it seems, girl is fuming mad at guy now for breaking his word. "chuchu", as we kids call it, was how i felt right then and there... i try to convince girl that she musn't let guy know that she knows because i would not only compromise my friendship with guy, but surely, i might compromise my friendship with the rest of guy's friends, all of which are dear and close to me (or i am close to. words.)... girl tries to convince me that i did the right thing in speaking the "truth" but i know in me that i broke a "guy code"...

case #3:
ZTE and conscience. my uncle idolized jose rizal. his business email address was sinosirizal... he was that much of a fanatic. he loved his country so, but he knew that his was not a time of patriotism. so he did what he can for his country. and then, at one point in his life, he gets to have a chance to do something for his country: speak the "truth" that is concealed by the powers that be... some people thought he was crazy in doing what he did. others thought it was heroic. while some, disgusted because he has become a thorn to their once "quiet" income-generating ways at the expense of the public... as a result, he has not slept in his own bed since february, his kids experiencing dorm life way before they should, and his family can't even walk around the mall without security guards outnumbering them. yes, they are being taken care of. but they shouldn't be in the first place. "truth" has set him free, but where has it taken him? relagated to being somewhat of a rebel and living in some captivity to some extent, even his kids are becoming confused at what value "truth" has when speaking it only makes things worse than make the whole place around them better... no, im not trying to convince you that they're doing miserably where they are now. again, they are taken care of. they fare better than rebels in the mountain. but again i say, they shouldn't be compared to them in the first place.

if "truth shall set you free" then why is it that case # 1 got worse when truth was spoken? why is it that case # 2 would compromise my friendship for some because of trust given by one? and why is it that in case # 3, they were only made captive rather than free?


"truth" is so overrated. just when you thought it would make the world around you better, it makes things worse. people compromise themselves at the expense of truth. for what? at the end of the day, your conscience might be the only one you're with after compromising everything else for that overrated truth.





**for those involved. you know who you are. this is again a confession i made. well, to some extent. sorry for those who might be hurt. but it's a leap. i have to live with its consequences. sa maiiintindihan kung bakit ko ginawa, salamat.  sa ndi makakaintindi, well, that's what i get for truth. i would want to say i regret not keeping it to myself, but hey, my "conscience" might bug me. as far as i know, stuff i said are stuff that must be known, and not kept from the other person involved. it might disturb the peace, but at least whatever else happens is not a lie.