I know. This is a creepy image. Ok, so it won’t be a fan favorite. But the drawing fits the idea.

The reason this man shouldn’t be trusted is because he has no discernment. Someone who only says good things about people has not shown they can discern when there is a dangerous, bad person to avoid. I am not talking about dissing someone. I am talking about having a realistic view. If someone looks, walks and talks like a crazed ax murderer, then it is not a bad thing to say so and avoid the person. You aren’t being mean because you are using your mind to keep yourself and others safe.

Could the guy possibly have a nice side? Yea, he could like broadway musicals and long walks on the beach, be nice to dogs and caterpillars and send money to his mom back home every month. But if that is ALL you see of the guy, then you are purposely avoiding reality. He is still a dangerous person and should be avoided.

Obviously, I am talking about extreme circumstances here. The more likely scenario is an everyday friend or relative whose judgment you can’t trust because you haven’t heard anything negative from him or her.

Think of all the American Idol contestants who have to be told by the judges that they aren’t any good at singing, even if their mothers said they were. Their mothers weren’t trustworthy as judges of their ability, they only said good things. They thought they were encouraging, but in fact they were disabling them, making them unable to discern where they were in their singing progress.

Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman

“Never trust a man who speaks well of everybody.” – John Churton Collins, 1848-1908, British Essayist and Critic