Brookfield preserved honesty safely in his book

Brookfield has written such an honest account of what it feels like to be a teacher. I often sit back and wonder about where honesty takes us.

Honesty is a funny word often ridiculed and ignored in our world. Being honest in a book and being honest about our daily experiences are two things. We live in a world where packaging and branding is more important than quality and value.

Cain loved books and she used to carry them everywhere with her. When she was in a surrounding where she found her books unwelcomed she hid them under her bed.

That is what we all do in our daily life. When we feel our thoughts, experiences, ideas will make us feel like a misfit we hide them from others. We pretend to be what others expect us to be like.

When I went to attend my first Canadian classroom, I don’t know when my focus shifted from learning to getting accepted. I was fearful of being critical of anyone’s opinions or comments. I wanted to be accepted in the new country by my fellow people.

These are not experiences specific to me or Cain. These are experiences common to all of us. We do it all the time. Hide away our honest self and our opinions and modify our self to suit the best needs of others.

Somewhere while practicing pleasing others we become mirror images of people we want to please and start expecting similar behavior from others. Rather than honesty we prefer loyalty. In the name of a peaceful environment and an amiable atmosphere, we trade people’s honesty and freedom to be themselves.

Our world has gotten so used to living a tamed version of life that traits like honesty of thought and action have become preserved memoirs of something ancient or wished for.