Kind but dangerous

A fisherman from the city was out fishing on a lake in a small boat. He noticed a kind-looking man in a small boat open his tackle box and take out a mirror. Curious, the man rowed over and asked, “What is the mirror for?”

“That’s my secret way to catch fish,” said the kind-looking man. “Shine the mirror on the top of the water. The fish notice the spot of sun on the water above, and they swim to the surface. Then I just reach down and net them and pull them into the boat.”

“Wow! Does that really work?”

“You bet it does.”

“Would you be interested in selling that mirror? I’ll give you two thousand pesos for it.”

“Well, okay.”

After giving the money, the city fisherman asked, “By the way, how many fish have you caught this week?”

“You’re the sixth,” he said.

Why do intelligent people get scammed? Why do educated people get conned? Let me give you two words: TOO TRUSTING.

I have met people who are very “kind.” They speak softly, they carry that winning smile, and they go out of their way to show that they care. They even have a lot of Bible verses memorized. They soften you. They show you kindness. And before you know it, these soft-spoken, caring—but deceitful—people leave you out to dry.

There are people I know who are so artificial that everything they do is for show. â€œFake it till you make it!” is their motto. They always have a hidden agenda. When you ask them a question they will not give you a straight answer. They withhold certain portions of the truth. When push comes to shove they tell you that they did not lie. It is so difficult to do business with people like these.

I had tried to look at the best in people, and in my immature state of mind I thought that I may be able to influence them to become more truthful. More often than not, however, I ended up getting the short end of the stick. This gives credence to a question from Scripture: Can a leopard change its spots? Being burnt is the result.

The worst thing about people like these is that they are so deceiving that one day, they will no longer be able to distinguish their lies from truth. Reality becomes a blur. In other words, they will arrive at self-deception.

Truth is exclusive. It should be in its entirety.

On the other hand I have met people who are abrasive. They are tactless when they speak. But these people are honest and they are unafraid to speak the truth. There was a time when I disliked them. Now that I am a lot older and perhaps a little wiser, I have come to understand that though they may be brutally frank, they are honest. When they make mistakes it is not out of malice but out of being misinformed. I love to do business with these people. They have no hidden agenda. They are brutally frank, but I do not need to constantly worry whether the person is withholding the truth or not.

Don’t be a sucker for the kind smile and the charming demeanor. Artificial kindness is still artificial, and it will kick you in the teeth.

Meanwhile, you and I should be wise as a serpent, yet gentle as a dove. Learn our life lessons and remind ourselves never to be artificial.

The world is craving for authenticity, and you and I need to play a major role in it, even if that means we cannot be cool about it.

What is worse than being “un-cool” is being “unreal.” So let’s be truthful all times.

(Connect with me on facebook.com/franciskong2. You can also catch me on Business Matters, Monday to Friday at 8 am and 6:30 pm over DZFE-FM 98.7 ‘The Master’s Touch,’ the classical music station.)