On this spot William Nichol of this town was burnt at the stake for the truth. April 9th 1558. (The Noble Army of Martyrs Praise Thee)
No one ever likes to hear the truth. It is a human failing. It is always the messenger that gets shot.
There is a subtle art to telling people what they don’t want to hear. The secret is to let them think that they thought it up themselves. Not an easy task, but that’s where storytelling comes in. Don’t tell the blunt truth, tell a story that sows the seeds of truth in the listener’s mind. They will water it and let it grow until they have to accept the fact of this new idea in their heads.
If only it could be bottled and we could be sure that the contents of the bottle would work every time.