Personal Understanding of the Meaning of Sincerity

The Oxford dictionary defines sincerity as ‘the absence of pretence, deceit, or hypocrisy’.

To me, sincerity means being kind and truthful and not being two-faced or a liar. When someone is sincere they say what they really believe. For example, you aren’t being sincere when you say to someone you like their dress and when they go away you say to a friend that you thought it was awful.

When we are sincere in our words and actions we show what we are really feeling in our heart. For example, if we have hurt someone and say sorry and try not to hurt them again that person can see that we are sincere and trust us again. By being sincere and building trust if can improve our friendship with others. Also, you show sincerity when you do something kind for someone and don’t expect anything in return. When you do something kind it displays sincerity by showing that you care about someone.

Sincerity means acting the same way when you are with other people as you do when you are by yourself. If you try to be like other people to fit in with them and not be yourself, then you are not being sincere.

When you show sincerity, you should try to look for the good in others, yourself and in things that happen. Think about the other person’s situation and what might cause them to act the way they did. By trying to know the other person has been through, you are less likely to be judgemental about their actions and words and to be more kind and show sincerity.

To be sincere you should say the truth. For example, if you are asked to give an opinion about someone that you don’t know very well, then just say one or two nice things that you know about that person. Don’t express an opinion that the person who asked for the opinion wants to hear, just say what you truly believe.

Sincerity means focussing on showing kindness and being true to yourself instead of focussing on material things, or what you think other people say about how you should act, what possessions you have, how you should dress or how you should look. To be obsessed with material things and trying to fit in by following trends and what other people do means you are not showing sincerity. You are using all your energy on looking good on the outside instead of being true to yourself.

Some people seem scared to be sincere and say how they really feel because they think other people will make fun of them and they won’t be allowed to be part of the group. If you can’t be sincere about how you feel about things, and people make fun of you then they aren’t true friends to begin with. True friends accept you for who you are, and not on their ideas of who you should be.

Sincerity isn’t just about one person it can spread throughout a community which improves the community as well as improving the individuals in it. A whole community can show sincerity through its actions. For example, I’m lucky enough to live in a community that shows sincerity through its actions. There is a local Greenwich girl called Isabelle Heim who has cerebral palsy. She has never been able to walk, talk or feed herself and is always in a wheelchair. Greenwich have a fundraising dinner for Isabelle and her family every year to help with looking after her. Greenwich also has Carols by Candlelight and Santa at the Wharf which sells coffee and food and raises money for different charities such as Youth off the Street, Mission Australia and aboriginal children’s education programs.

To me, sincerity comes from the heart and it shows who your genuine self is. Sincerity means being kind and truthful and not being two-faced or a liar. Sincerity in our words and actions show what we are really feeling in our heart. Sincerity means acting the same way when you are with other people as you do when you are by yourself. Sincerity means looking for the good in others, yourself and in things that happen. Sincerity means saying the truth. Sincerity means focussing on showing kindness and being true to yourself instead of focussing on material things, or what you think other people say about how you should act, what possessions you have, how you should dress or how you should look. Sincerity is from the heart and it usually happens without having to think about it as it is an unplanned decision or response to someone or to a situation. Sincerity comes naturally as a part of your true self. This is what sincerity means to me.