the naive notion of the day, 4/14

If there's something I would (naively) like, it would be honesty.  I would like everyone to be a bit more honest to each other.  I would like:

• people who are bigots to just admit they are bigots.  Don't hide behind your views.  Don't try to justify your bigotry through intellectual dodges such as, for example, "the traditional definition of marriage" (which is, traditionally, more about property and control than anything else).  While I don't like bigots, I prefer an honest bigot to bigots who deny their bigotry.
• selfish people to just admit they are selfish.  Don't hide behind others as justification for your selfishness.  If you're only interested in satisfying yourself rather than compromising and occasionally listening to other people's wants and desires, then just say so.
• people to admit it when someone is doomed rather than filling them with false hope.  Sugar-coating one's situation doesn't help anyone.  If someone would've actually told me getting a doctorate most likely would not lead to a job, I could've lived my life differently.  Similarly, if the people who were supposed to prepare me for the job market would've just told me they weren't really interested in helping me be marketable...I'm not saying I wouldn't have done the same thing, but it would've been nice to at least make informed decisions.
• people who don't like someone to just say they don't like someone.  Don't withdraw.  Don't "play nice."  That only leads to confusion.

People like to talk about social niceties.  Personally, I hate most of them. Politeness often just becomes another word for "dwelling in confusion and potential misinterpretation."  Let's just quit the games, the pr, the social niceties, and just be honest.  I bet the world would be a better place.  I know my world would improve.

(yeah, I did say this was a naive notion)