The Grasshopper hopped in with this little tidbit the other day:

“Telling people what you think they want to hear, almost always, leads to disappointment.”

This is not about “white lies.” We all tell those from time to time.

This is about disappointment and how to insure that it happens. If you want to eventually disappoint someone, tell them what you think they want to hear.

I see this practice as a stalling tactic or just plain lying.

We stall the truth and therefore delay the disappointment.

If the outcome is disappointment, disappoint up front. You’ll garner more respect for you and your word.

Telling people what you think they want to hear puts you in a symphony of sycophants. You make used car salesmen look like altar boys.

Some people are so steeped in this practice that they’ve convinced themselves that they’re not lying. They justify the lie by claiming that they had every intention of doing what they said they were going to do, knowing, full well, that isn’t true.

Want more respect? Stop selling what, even you, aren’t buying.

You may find it disappointing that people have categorized you as someone who serially disappoints. The remedy is straightforward: Tell them what you’re truly going to do.

All the best,

John