I am a truth-teller, sometimes even to the point of being abrasive. I am simply not squeamish when it comes to the facts. Not because of some quasi-noble “I’m just doing what’s best for you” reason, either. I do it because I am too lazy to lie. It’s much easier for me to just say what I think than trying to sugarcoat it and package it up into something more digestible. I tell the truth because it’s easier than lying.
However, people don’t have to know this, and so, I can get away with it. I can tell someone exactly what I think, add something like “The truth will set you free,” and people will say things like “I admire your honesty.” Alright then, I’ll take that. Really though, there is a greater lesson to be learned here. Any character trait can be seen in a bad or a good light. People are pretty much the same wherever you go. It’s the spin factor that makes some appear to be greater than others.
For example, compared to my younger brother, my family thinks that I am accommodating and laidback, whereas he can be stubborn and argumentative. However, I could put a spin on this and say that my brother has a steadfast heart and is willing to defend his ideals in face of great opposition. Furthermore, one could put a spin on my natural disposition and characterize me as a pushover who has no values worth protecting. In short, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, and it’s your job to make sure that they have got their rose-colored glasses on. Spin-doctoring should be a course required of all graduating seniors.
Spin goes on all of the time in politics. I see President Bush as a deceitful, conniving ignoramus. My view is shaped by the various actions that he has taken throughout his political life, actions framed by my preconceived notions of what is right and wrong and ideas of how things should be.
However, I have many friends who hold Bush up as a great leader. They value his character as being that of a good old boy with whom they would not mind sitting down and sharing a conversation and beer.
That is one thing that I absolutely loath about politics, though. In Washington it does not matter what you do. What matters is what people think that you are doing. Nevertheless, there is a lesson here. There is a lesson that each of us can apply to our own lives.
The lesson? It does not matter what you do while you are an undergraduate student. If you have the right spin skills, you can get away with pretty much just sitting around all day and doing nothing.
For example, the next time someone asks you what you have been up to, do not say “just sitting around on the couch.” Instead, say “resting.” “Just sitting around on the couch” implies that you are lazy, whereas “resting” implies that you have actually been doing something worthwhile that would merit a time of rest. If you do not believe me, then try it out with your own parents.
Remember this the next time that you start working on your resume. Do companies want to hire stupid, lazy, slow people, or would they rather employ people who are going to take the time to seek out the simplest solution to problems that arise in the workplace? It is all a matter of spin, but I know what I’d be writing on my application. Then again, I am a “truth-teller” and people seem to value my honesty anyway.