Why written confessions are far more honest
By now texting has been thoroughly scrutinised for its many fads. Whether it’s about the positives or the hazards of mass texting, there has not been any dearth of trends. However, speaking in favour of texting is a latest research that claims texting acts as a means to express yourself honestly.
A study, carried out by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research established that people are more honest in text messages than in voice conversations.
Those who swear by the power of the written word agree writing is a balanced way of communication and one has ample time to channelise one’s thoughts without worrying about the response of the receiver.
“Writing is intimate, personal and helps one put things into perspective. There have been instances when in a fight with a close friend we both have said things we regretted later. My brother and me fight a lot and one thing I’ve realised is that we don’t do well face-to-face. And one day we discovered that SMSes, chats work fine for us. If we are upset, we prefer to express ourselves through texts and sort things out,” explains Delhi-based content developer Asya Khan.
When writing we can frame our words, sentences and arrange-rearrange them in the best way possible and this lends weight to the topic. Entrepreneur and management guru Faraaz Kazi feels that people upon reading the written word tend to believe in it more strongly than something said personally, which explains the success of love letters.
He says, “Writing addresses everything required and puts the receiver at ease, thus a comfort level is generated automatically.”
Writing particularly helps those who fail to convey themselves verbally. HR consultant Shiv Sood finds it difficult to say “no”. He generally resorts to texts or emails to avoid a verbal or physical confrontation.
Karthik Naralasetty, founder socialblood.org adds, “Face-to-face conversations appear more honest but they really are not. I am more honest when I write an email. People are more likely to disclose sensitive information via email/text when compared to direct interactions. It’s because people then are not under any pressure. However, there are negatives to it as well. If I am answering an email, I will always hide the truth and position myself in the best possible light.”
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