Inconvenient Truth

The Truth About Truth. It's Not What You Think

Let's be honest - we're all full of it.

Me, you, that influencer posting about "hustle culture," your boss who claims to have all the answers. We're walking around pretending we've got it figured out while quietly drowning in our own uncertainty.

I know because I've been there. Hell, I'm still there some days. At 50, I thought I had truth all wrapped up in a neat little package: success equals status, knowledge equals power, and being right equals winning. What a load of c**p that turned out to be.

Here's the real truth about truth: it's not a destination, it's a journey. And most of us are too damn scared to take the first step.

Remember that time you insisted you were right in a meeting, even when that nagging voice in your head whispered "maybe check those numbers again"? Yeah, me too. Or when you nodded along with your boss's terrible idea because, well, they're the boss? Been there, done that, got the corporate trauma t-shirt.

Naval Ravikant puts it perfectly: "The truth is that which has predictive power."

Not what feels good, not what everyone agrees with, but what actually works. Damn inconvenient, isn't it?

Are we Afraid of Truth

Let's get real for a second. Truth is scary because it doesn't give a damn about your ego. It doesn't care about your MBA, your job title, or how many followers you have on Twitter. Truth just is.

I learned this the hard way when I had to admit that my entire approach to leadership was wrong. I was the "I know best" guy, the one with all the answers. Until I didn't have them. And you know what? The moment I said "I don't know, let's figure this out together" was the moment my team actually started trusting me.

Scott Galloway says, "The most dangerous lies are the ones we tell ourselves."

Think about that for a minute. How many "truths" are you holding onto just because letting them go feels too damn hard?

Three Levels of Truth

1. Personal Truth: This is the hardest one because it means looking in the mirror and not bullshitting yourself. When was the last time you did that? Really did that?

2. Professional Truth: This isn't about your job description or your KPIs. It's about what you actually contribute versus what you profess to contribute. Ouch, right?

3. Universal Truth: The big stuff. The principles that don't change whether you're in New York or New Delhi. Like the fact that pretending to be someone you're not will eventually bite you in the ass.

Stop Being Full of It

Here's my three-step process (and yes, I'm still working on it):

1. Admit I Don't Know: Seriously, try it. It's liberating as hell. Next time someone asks you something, instead of BS-ing your way through, just say "I don't know, but I'll find out."

2. Question Everything: Especially the stuff I’m most certain about.

As Adam Grant says, "The hallmark of wisdom is knowing when to grit and when to quit."

Sometimes being strong means letting go of what I think is true.

3. Embrace the Mess: Truth isn't clean. It's messy, complicated, and sometimes contradictory. I have had to get comfortable with that.

Power Move

Want to know the most badass thing you can do in today's world? Tell the truth. Not your version of it. Not the politically correct version. The actual truth.

When everyone else is posting their “I am the best” reels on your favorite social channel, post about your failures. When your project is falling behind, say it before someone else does. When you screw up, own it.

Carl Jung said, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

Translation: The truth you avoid is the truth that controls you.

My Truth Sets Me ‘and You’ Free

Here's the beautiful thing about truth: it ripples. When you choose to be genuinely, messily, vulnerably real – you permit others to do the same.

Every time I drop the mask now, something magical happens. Conversations deepen. Real solutions emerge. People lean in instead of checking out. It's like everyone's been waiting for someone to go first – to be the first one to say "I don't know" or "I messed up" or "I'm scared."

Maybe that someone is you.

You don't have to do it all at once. Start small. Next time someone asks your opinion, pause. Take a breath. Give them your truth instead of your performance. Watch what happens.

Because here's what I know for sure: you're not just changing your life when you choose truth – you're changing the world around you. And in a world drowning in bullshit, that's not just helpful. It’s an obligation.

We're all in this together, fumbling toward something real.

Assume positive intent, even when someone's truth feels like sandpaper against yours. That friction? That's where growth lives.

Ready to get real?

With hope and honesty,

Adi