Commentary On Sincerity

Commentary
Sincerity

When we hear the word sincerity, what is our first impression of the word? According to dictionaries this word is defined as freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity; probity in intention or in communicating; earnestness. However, if we put it in our own simple words, the best definition to the term would probably be being true to what you say. It isn’t enough to tell someone what’s pleasing to hear, but the truth plays an important factor in sincerity as well.

Why must we practice this virtue? First and foremost, without sincerity, hypocrisy and deception would be rampant. People would be saying things that they don’t mean, deceiving others with what they say. With such condition, the truth will be hardly seen, and may lead to chaos. What would happen if the world leaders weren’t sincere with what they promised, and their speeches that promised the masses a promising future for the country were just masks that conceal their true intentions? The world would then plunge into chaos and anarchy. We may think that this example is a little too extreme, but simple acts of deceit may result in something similar as well. When a friend asks how he looks like, and you say he looks good when in fact he doesn’t, just to make you look better, do you think that it will in fact do any good? If he finds out what you have done, chaos will occur, not in the same degree as the previous example, but chaos in a sense that it will ruin the friendship. Secondly sincerity helps bring about change. If everyone were so hypocritical with what they say, nothing will change for people would see that what others say are really not meant. When we tell a friend “stop your vices”, we have to mean it and not be hypocritical. We may tell him to do so, but if he sees you being so hypocritical and not stopping the vices yourself, it will result in him not doing so. As we can see, sincerity is an essential virtue in this world of ours. Without it, bonds of trust would be...