Michelle (M): How many times has your business suffered because you trusted the wrong person? How many times has your heart been broken because you trusted someone who turned out to be unworthy of your trust?
If you’re like most people, you’ve been lied to thousands of times. Deception hurts in many ways. There’s the emotional stress from being betrayed, the loss of self-confidence and the increased suspicion or even paranoia. Not to mention the financial cost.
Just recently someone tried to deceive us. We refuse to be victims, so we are doing everything in our power to fight and get back what is ours. Last week, my sister and I attended the Choices and Voices forum, which featured the six “presidentiables”. There were a few who spoke well enough to impress us; others made promises; and still others spoke as if they really meant what they said. We should be discerning enough so that we can make the right choice.
Darwin John (DJ): I think three of our six top presidentiables are honorable for sharing not only who they are, but also who they are not. The first one champions Filipino volunteerism. The second is a religious crusader. And the third is widely regarded as bright and talented, and I place my best hope in him for this country. But as Einstein once said, great minds always encounter opposition from mediocre minds. So their popularity, as we speak, is still an uphill climb. But I remain optimistic that his consistently positive campaign approach, his crisp and clear vision for the country and his exceptional skill to articulate them can win him our victory.
Nothing’s really certain. But he’s more likely to have the ability and willingness to walk his talk.
M: Talk is good but actions speak louder, and sometimes better than words. I read an article written by Ken Osborn on the seven subtle cues that often mean a person isn’t being completely honest with you. He wrote that we have erectile tissues in our noses, which engorge with blood when we lie.
This causes a tingling or itching sensation that requires a nose touch to satisfy. The absence of a nose-touch doesn’t guarantee truth, but the presence of a nose-touch often means deception. Of course, sometimes a person will touch his or her nose because of a non-deceptive cause, such as a cold. Try to look at your favorite candidates when they talk and touch their noses. It might not be something as innocent as a cold.
DJ: There was a story of two pretty and sexy ladies sitting and talking one clear evening by the beach side of Boracay. The pretty one asked, “Which do you think is farther away, Cebu or the moon?”
The sexy one turned and said from the bottom of her heart, “Hello, can you see Cebu?” Sincerity is not the only gauge that one is leading us to the right path. We are constantly bombarded by infomercials and messages and the unimpeded flow of information can be so distracting.
It’s possible that one can be sincerely wrong. There really are times when we can’t just base our decisions merely on what is seen on the surface. That’s why discernment is key.
M: The second cue according to Osborn is speech disturbances. He wrote that when we lie, we force our brain to pretend that the lie is true, that the truth is a lie and simultaneously remember that the real truth is that each is the other. When people lie, Osborn said, they pause longer and speak slower than normal and often experience speech disturbances that serve as gap fillers, such as “er” and “ah.”
DJ: Oh well, we’re said to be in a country where when all is said and done, more is said than done. And every once in a while, we see signs like, “For sale: genuine fake watches.” It’s possible that people, at times, are not truthful to us. But we can still choose to be true to ourselves and to others. The wise often say, from the abundance of one’s heart the mouth speaks. Ultimately, it’s still a matter of choice. And it’s something we all can make.
(Email us at ssinglestalk@yahoo.com)