Glad Someone Is Up There On That Wall

There is the moment in the movie A Few Good Men where Navy Attorney Tom Cruise, wanting to determine who set in motion a series of acts that lead to the death of a young Marine, drills in on the commander Col. Nathan R. Jessep, played fabulously by Jack Nicholson. Cruise demands the truth and Nicholson roars, "you can't handle the truth!"

It is the breakthrough moment in the film and it's awesome! How awesome? So much so that "you can't handle the truth" has been part of everyday use and pop culture conversation for that last 26 years!

But can we handle life's truths? Think about how often you tell white lies to protect someone from the pain of the truth? New research from the University of Chicago indicates that perhaps you should stop doing that.

Through several experiments, the scientists determined that honest conversations are far more enjoyable for communicators than they expect them to be, and the listeners of honest conversations react less negatively than expected.

Researchers conclude that individuals' avoidance of honesty may be a mistake and by avoiding being honest, individuals miss out on opportunities that they appreciate in the long-run, and that they would want to repeat. (EurekAlert!)

Filed Under: psychology

Categories: Entertainment News, Science

Turns Out Maybe We CAN Handle The Truth