“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:6 NLT)
What makes us susceptible to insincerity? Why can’t we see through deceptive displays of affection, words of flattery, gifts of fake pearls? When someone repeatedly shows us that they are untrustworthy, why do we keep thinking that they will be different?
Most of us can sense when someone is untrustworthy, especially if we have known them for a while. We can observe how they treat others in their lives and see patterns of deception. We have noticed how they rob others of dignity, how they step on them as they climb the ladder of ambition. However, our desire to be loved and accepted mesmerizes us into giving some people the benefit of the doubt. We want to believe that we are worthy enough to induce these exploiters to change their ways. Thus, we ignore our gut, our trust sensor--and, instead, follow our heart’s desire to feel valuable, loveable, acceptable. Sincere friends might warn us that we are being used as a doormat, but we reject their admonitions. Instead, we accept the fake embraces, hoping that this time will be different, that we are special enough to beget loyalty and sincerity.
No comments:
Post a Comment