The phrase to call a fig a fig, and a trough a trough has its roots in Classical Greece. Back then it meant to speak the unvarnished truth, without embellishments. It seems that even then people had to be reminded to just tell it like it is.
In this age of political correctness I reckon we’ve forgotten how.
It’s like we’re allergic to certain words, especially the word PROBLEM. We have to sugar coat it by calling it a challenge or an opportunity. The issue there is neither of these require solving. A problem does.
If you call it what it is, you will get on with fixing it.
But we have gone even further and call seemingly small problems ‘first world problems’. We do this when our issues seem silly or small in comparison to huge issues, and possibly out of guilt, because others have it worse than us. While this is admirable, it doesn’t solve a thing. It dismisses our worries.
So I say, we live in the first world. We have worked hard, created the communities we live in, and paid taxes to be here. There is no guilt in that.
By all means do for others when and where you can of course, but let’s be honest. If you have a situation call it what it is. Address it.
Let’s get over this insane political correctness and start addressing real world stuff. Your stuff.
We know the first step to any kind of improvement is to acknowledge the problem exists. Be vulnerable, accept it. There will be challenges and opportunities along the way but call it what it is.
This is the path from adversity to strength.