HOWE Q. WALLACE BLOG

“Honestly” vs “honesty:” A lesson about candor

“Candor is forthrightness or frankness—not so different from honesty, really. And yet, in common usage, the word communicates not just truth-telling but a lack of reserve.” – Ed Catmull, former President, Walt Disney and original co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.

I once had the habit of starting sentences with “honestly” when trying to emphasize a point. A colleague stopped me one day.

“I notice you say ‘honestly’ often,” they said. “Should I assume you aren’t being honest when you don’t say it?”

That’s not what I wanted. Truth is the standard I aspire to deliver when communicating. If I say it, I want you to take it to the bank.

So, I changed my word from “honestly” to “candidly.”

I like Catmull’s description of candor. Forthright. Direct. Frank. It leans in. It is courageous. It risks ruffled feathers. It is always the truth. Candor furthers the situation.

My goal is to become candid so consistently I don’t have to preface anything I say as “candid.”

-Howe Q Wallace Jr