January People

I know I am stretching the meaning of the word slightly, but it was the only image I could think of for today's thoughts. The month of January was named after the Roman god Janus. He was a two-faced god that looked into the past and into the future without turning his head. He is a fitting representation of the New Year.

But today, I want to share some thoughts about real two-faced people. There are many people today who wear whatever face gets their needs met at the present time. They are fake, phony, and are capable of stabbing you in the back while smiling a sweet smile in your face. I don't care to be around those kinds of people. After a while I can spot them a mile away. Granted, there are several pros in the world, but I am pretty good at weeding them out.

My question is this...

Why can't people just be themselves and be honest in everything they do? Why do they have to hide behind a mask or flip-flop like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? There are several at work that I have to deal with on a daily basis. Sugary sweet one minute; telling something that you know isn't quite right the next. And even some outright stories are made up when convenient. All so the person-of-the-moment will look favorably upon them and give praise to the story maker.

I avoid most kinds of contact with these people. I only interact with them in the bare minimal essential tasks. No deep conversations; light humor; all superficial. I don't want to get entangled in their webs of deceit. I am sure there are moments behind my back where that icky smile turns upside down at the mention of my name because of my honesty, but I'd rather be known for brutal honesty than for sweet lies. Perhaps there would be fewer wars, bickerings, and malcontent between peoples and nations if everyone tried the tactfully honest approach instead of the deceitfully smiling approach when dealing with their neighbors.