Did you see The Bachelorette this week? Ashley spent the entire time talking about how much she missed Bentley, almost to the point that we were ready to hit the off button on our remotes.  But, like me, I am sure you stuck it out.  And if you listened carefully, caught between the ramblings about Bentley was some thoughtful discussion about truth, hope, and happiness.  Ashley’s 1:1 date with Constantine got rained out, so the couple did what most would do in real life.  They talked, walked, shopped, ate, and talked some more.  They talked about how great a feeling can come from being honest and truthful in relationship.  They talked of the bond that occurs when two individuals open up and share their true intentions and feelings, when they divulge real facts without hiding behind some cloak of fiction.  By the end of the date, Ashley relayed how she was once again feeling a sense of happiness and hope in finding love, especially if all the bachelors would truly open up and share who they really are.

So why are we talking about truth and honesty and hope and happiness? The Internet is a living thing that reflects the soul of our society.  The reverse is just as true.  Our society reflects how we are online – it showcases our hopes and desires as well as our faults and challenges. Together, society and the Internet have become our life, our true self.  With this backdrop, let’s imagine what a life we all could live if we were truthful, open, and honest about who we really are whether it was online or off.  In the real world when we are asked our name, we tell people what it is.  We’ll even do it at the Starbucks counter when ordering a venti drip.  And, yet, how often do we change that and many other pieces of information that follow just because there is a computer screen separating us from the person on the other side – even if it is someone we eventually want to meet in the real world and fall in love with?

Hope and happiness come from truth, online and offline.  A life based on truth makes for a wonderful world.

Let’s see what lessons about the digital world next week’s episode of The Bachelorette brings.

Until then, just remember – when we tell it like it is, we become a happier world.