Can someone be too earnest or sincere?

Sincerity needs to be paired with confidence. This makes all of the difference in the world.
 
I know some chauvinists that are pretty blunt, pretty confident, and pretty damn thruthful.

It doesn't mean I have to agree or enjoy their company. Some like the fact that they will always get an honest answer. I personally don't enjoy many of their opinions or company.
 
NeverAmI said:
Doesn't that come back to blunt vs tactful? And also dishonesty.
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No, i think the question was misunderstood. I'm not talking about honesty with others, as in being tactful when telling someone what you think about them or anything like that. I'm talking about sincerity or a sense of earnest, niceness, in personality. When someone is, as they say, just honest to goodness sincere or what they call overly sincere in their attitude or response to everything. In other words, the quality is associated with being too naive.
 
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Restraint said:
Now, i've always thought it was a good thing if someone was very honest and sincere as a personality characteristic, but for many people, it's a turnoff, so what does everyone think - can someone be too earnest or sincere? Why or why not?

Apparently, being too sincere a person makes someone seem a bit too dorky, which is apparently, not such a good thing.
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Agree with you. Excess of anything kills its power and charm.

I think, people can become too much honest person, when they want to prove themselves best.
 
Roger said:
...Excess of anything kills its power and charm...
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What about self-righteousness?
You can never have too much of that.
Especially if you make it sincere.

Presidents and prime-ministers know all about that.
You know: those paragons of virtue we all look up to...
 
I feel as though honesty will always serve a person well unless they are not being honest with themselves.

I realize that earnest and honest are not synonyms, but they are closely related enough so that general principles of honestly can apply.
 
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Crow said:
What about self-righteousness?
You can never have too much of that.
Especially if you make it sincere.

Presidents and prime-ministers know all about that.
You know: those paragons of virtue we all look up to...
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hmmm thinking on your reply... This is lesson for me today. :D Thank you crow.
 
Restraint said:
Now, i've always thought it was a good thing if someone was very honest and sincere as a personality characteristic, but for many people, it's a turnoff, so what does everyone think - can someone be too earnest or sincere? Why or why not?

Apparently, being too sincere a person makes someone seem a bit too dorky, which is apparently, not such a good thing.
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Yes, I think that can. Understanding how conditionally can be understood intentions of human for other human, makes me think that such a concept really can exist in some people understanding. But, if sincerity that someone uses, is constructive, I mean is oriented to himself and to other person and to constructive relations and new understandings taking to himself and possibility to show that to other person, I think that kind of personality feature can not be too much.
Hmmm.. too dorky sincerity... if sincerity is used gradually till two sincerities creates naturally sincerity, then it doesn't looks too dorky. But again, people are condionally creatures.
 
Yes, too much sincerity can be a vulnerability for people taking advantage of you. I keep mine locked up to keep from being trampled on.
 
well it's going to depend on whose company you're in. among some people, sincerity and blunt honesty would be respected and admired; among others, it would be crass. depends entirely on the social context.
 
May said:
well it's going to depend on whose company you're in.
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I agree...if I felt so inclined, I guess I would rather err on the side of sincerity. The dynamics of the social setting/other people may not fully appreciate it, but oh well.
 
Dragon said:
Yes, just because you say something well doesn't mean you should say it. Honesty and sincerity are fine, but it really doesn't matter when someone says something hurtful.

".... and I don't mean to hurt your feelings and mean this sincerely, but you make people uncomfortable and scare them."

See? Doesn't help. Now I want to go shoot myself.
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The STBX is wonderful at this type of talk. It makes me want to throw things. Lol
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Restraint said:
No, i think the question was misunderstood. I'm not talking about honesty with others, as in being tactful when telling someone what you think about them or anything like that. I'm talking about sincerity or a sense of earnest, niceness, in personality. When someone is, as they say, just honest to goodness sincere or what they call overly sincere in their attitude or response to everything. In other words, the quality is associated with being too naive.
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Oh, yea, I have that, it was a lot worse when I was younger, I trusted everyone. I was always shocked when it turned out someone had bad intentions for me.

LOL

Am I finally understanding???
 
I think it is advisable to sometimes hold an opinion to yourself! Choosing when to be sincere and to whom is an art form!
 
So there's probably nothing wrong with dorky then. :mblow:

There are people who call their deliberate and continuous arrogance "honesty", there are also tactless people who don't do it deliberately. I'm fine with the latter, but when I sense the former situation, that offends me. It's not what people say or do that offends me, it's their desire to offend that I find offensive. Here being offended is a systematic rational reaction, because it goes against rationality when someone is irrationally negative to people, instead of truly analysing them. With time, I'm more convinced that misanthropy can only be caused by a form of ignorance.
 
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Honesty when required is a boon but permanent honesty? No duplicity?

That's just boring!!

Without duplicity most subtlety is lost, sarcasm fails and most jokes are dead in the water.

Honestly, dishonesty is an important trait but like all traits it has it's applications. Stray away from those applications and it's less... applicable...

(Yeah my inner dictionary isn't failing today... honest!!)
 
Restraint said:
Now, i've always thought it was a good thing if someone was very honest and sincere as a personality characteristic, but for many people, it's a turnoff, so what does everyone think - can someone be too earnest or sincere? Why or why not?
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I have noticed how much of external interaction is about building an image. That is a major deterant for me to be able to interact well in the world especially in professional situations. I have one personae I use for teaching and performing, but even that one is a little dorky.

Restraint said:
Apparently, being too sincere a person makes someone seem a bit too dorky, which is apparently, not such a good thing.
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This is one of my favorite sentences ever.
 
NeverAmI said:
Oh, yea, I have that, it was a lot worse when I was younger, I trusted everyone. I was always shocked when it turned out someone had bad intentions for me.

LOL

Am I finally understanding???
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YES!!!!! :m155:
 
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