Honesty

I've been thinking a lot about honesty lately. I've always thought of myself as a pretty "real" person, but I'm realizing that's not as true as I'd like it to be. There are so many reasons not to be real...others perceptions and feelings, etiquette, vulnerability, self-preservation...why risk it...what's the pay off? I guess there will always be times when being 100% real isn't the best idea - but for the other times, if you're not real with people then people can't be real with you - they'll be responding to the false reality of you that you've chosen to show them. Relationships then are just a game of smoke and mirrors...how fulfilling can that be...I guess that's the pay off...fulfilling relationships...not so bad I guess...