Holding in Truths

What is the difference between a truth and a lie?
Do you know?

Many of us define the truth as a fact and a lie as a false statement but is that so? At times I am afraid to tell the truth so I withhold it, but does that make me a liar?

truth

tro͞oTH/

noun

noun: truth

1.

the quality or state of being true.

"he had to accept the truth of her accusation"

The definition of the word truth.........It is so hard to decode this because at the end of the day were you being true? Am I being true when I keep something to myself because I do not want to hurt someone or bother them about a certain topic?

I keep the truth to myself yet I do not lie about it or make up some extravagant story to cover it up. I just keep it between me, myself, and I..... I mean many of us do this. We hold stuff in, but does that make us a liar?

li·ar

ˈlīər/

noun

noun: liar; plural noun: liars

1.

a person who tells lies.

A liar is a person who tells lies......but I am not telling anything. I am remaining silent in hopes that I am never questioned about the topic. For if I am questioned, then I will reveal the truth....but I'm not questioned... no one even asks me..... so I just hold it in.

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Holding stuff in does not make me a liar though. For the longest time, I thought it did. I felt that each time I was holding in some of my emotions I was lying to the world. But the thing is, you are not lying to the world if you aren't revealing or speaking a thing. If you think about it, the only person you are truly lying to is yourself. When we keep certain things inside we really aren't comfortable with our true selves. We think we are strong, but are we really? I can recall many conversations when people wanted to talk about my  viewpoints on family and I just decided not to comment. I didn't lie to them, but I just wasn't comfortable with my views. I was afraid of being criticized and ridiculed, therefore, I saved myself the social shame that I thought I would have encountered. I repressed all of my opinions and didn't reveal any. It's crazy because in moments like that, you feel the words at the back of your throat but you are too afraid to speak. And the pressure of holding in the truth is building up inside of  you like water in a tank and you are about to burst but you are just afraid to say how you really feel.... You keep your truth inside....after all....it isn't hurting anyone....right?

Holding in the truth isn't a bad thing.... It doesn't make you a liar either....but sometimes your truth can help someone who is in the same situation as you....

There are women in the world who pretend like their home life is going great but each day they are verbally abused by their spouse but they keep in this truth and respond with "Everything is fine" when they are questioned about their relationships.

There are little kids who are being bullied at school but they never tell their families because they don't want their dad to think they are "soft" because boys are supposed to be strong

There are people going through storms that seem to never end in life.........and they don't say a word......but that doesn't make them a liar.....

Sometimes people are more understanding than you think..... and sometimes when you reveal your truths you can actually help someone else out. What we keep in the most is our flaws, we don't reveal our downfalls to others....but those downfalls can help others.

The image you give from the outside can not reflect all that you have been through. Sure someone seems successful now, but just by looking at them you can never truly tell what they have been through. That strong man at the gym may have been bullied so much as a kid to the point where it brought tears to his eyes everyday, but a kid will look at him and think that nothing like that could have ever happened in his lifetime. And at the end of the day, that guy may not want to reveal that either....but if he did he could help that kid so much.... .Your truths may be painful for yuo to acknowledge or openly speak about at times....but they could help someone else.....

Just a thought though....

Signing Off
Monica Renata