What if you told us what you really think?

How far can you go?

When you look at some of the brilliant minds, some of the geniuses and inventors of the past, did they tell us what they really thought? Or did they tell us what we wanted to hear?

Did they write their book for the love of the story or to please an audience? How far can you go–in either direction? Where is the balance?

Steve Jobs comes to mind. A brilliant mind who spoke it as he felt it. But he wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy. As I type on my MacBook Air and listen to my iPhone’s Podcast, do I care that he wasn’t warm and fuzzy or am I glad he told us what he really thought? A step further: he not only said what he thought and didn’t just do what he said, but he pushed forward what he believed to the extent that it reinvented industries.

Let it all hang out or hold your tongue?

What if what you really want to say is mean or politically incorrect? What if you’re scared to really say it because it might offend someone else–or not just might offend, you’re sure it’s going to offend someone in particular. So can you say it? When should you break free and when should you hold back? Aren’t some things better left unsaid? How do you know?