A value I have begun to embrace in recent years is radical truth. Most people agree that honesty is a cornerstone of interpersonal relationships. Yet living by this principle fully—not just 98%—proves harder than it seems.
We often find ourselves holding back. We withhold our full truth because we fear hurting others or assume it’s better not to share everything. It’s not that we lie; we simply avoid stating things as they are. We water down our radical honesty by using too many words or dancing around the point. This behavior is natural, shaped by our upbringing and cultural expectations—not wanting to hurt others.
This way of being in the world is acceptable. I’m not prescribing a right or wrong approach—interpersonal relationships are complex and a major source of suffering. However, I have learned that expressing your radical truth in the moment creates more value. And has proven most effective to my life's evolution.
When you speak your full radical truth without holding back, you open space for significant, evolutionary change. Conversely, when you compromise on that truth, you compress the vital information that should be shared. In doing so, you hinder the natural evolution of yourself, the other person, and the relationship. If you were always radically honest—without letting empathy obscure your truth—you would accelerate the intrinsic evolution of everything around you. I’m not saying you should be a jerk, hostile, or mal-intentioned. You can deliver hard truths empathetically. But when you try to control how someone reacts to your truth, you diminish the value of the conversation and close the door to the full potential in both you and the other person.
Speaking your radical truth—even when it is uncomfortable and risky—ultimately accelerates your journey toward your highest potential. Failing to do so harms not only you but also the other person and the world. This approach may inevitably lead to some relationships breaking or conflicts causing pain, but that pain is self-inflicted. It is not your task to shield someone from the radical truth.
This may sound like an idealistic standard that is hard to achieve in the real world. Yet once you detach from outcomes and enter a state of complete presence, you will see that this way of living is both accessible and beneficial in the long term. It starts with a commitment to trade short-term conflict avoidance and comfort for the long-term unfolding of potential—embracing the sometimes harsh yet ever-evolving nature of life. This is raw life.