Who makes it so?

I don't know who decided civilized is the way to go, but I don't really like them.

I watched the movie The Invention of Lying and thought, wow, I would really like to be one of those people!  Life would just be so much easier if people could come out and say what they're really thinking.

For instance, when I get bitched out at work by a co-worker, it'd be a lot easier to deal with if she came out and said, "You make me feel insecure about myself and my hair, so I'm going to be really bitchy to you.  Probably forever.  But you might catch me on a good day when my hair isn't so hideous.  Take advantage of those days if you want."

And to that I could reply, "You're right, your hair is horrifying today--do you pull it back that tight to give yourself a cheap face lift?  Because it really just makes you look old and witch-like."

Or, in another example, at the checkout line of the grocery store, instead of the "pleasant" chitchat the checkout person attempts, they could just say, "I'm a college student and my parents won't pay for my gas, so I have to work here.  I hate it here.  I see you just bought a cucumber and condoms.  Are you here on a dare or are you just really lonely?"

I would say, "I don't blame you for hating it here--standing all day, trying to remember all those stupid codes for fruits and veggies, having to wait when someone has to price check something and seven people are in line staring at you.  The cucumber's for my puffy eyes and the condoms are for the usual purpose."

See how much simpler that is?

Realistically, I understand that no one really wants to talk about the cucumber and condoms (no, I've never bought that combination), or hear the bald truth that yes, you do in fact, look crypt-keeper old.  Then again, if you're on the receiving end of the nasty truth, you won't like it. I'm guessing the receiver of the nasty is the One Who Makes It So.

Considering how far we've come in 150 years--women can wear pants, servants aren't (always) treated as slaves with no options, and people in America have an equal right to vote no matter their sex or race, it can't be all that bad.  But I still think it'd be nice if blatant honesty wasn't something everyone feared.  There's scarier things out there--like bed bugs, and book burnings, and Glenn Beck.