The Bible says true wisdom is “impartial and sincere.” Those words in Greek both sound like “hypocrite,” and for good reason: They mean “without hypocrisy” or “straightforward.”

Greek theater often featured just a few actors in an entire play who would repeatedly change parts. They would hold masks in front of their faces for each part, and one person could have five or six different masks and parts. That person, that actor, was called a hypocrite.

If you’re wise, you’re not phony. You don’t wear masks and try to be something you’re not. You’re genuine and authentic. What others see is what they get! You don’t strive for perfection or pretend like you’ve already achieved it. You’re aware of your weaknesses, and you don’t try to hide them.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins” (GNT). It’s ridiculous to pretend that you’ve got it all together, because nobody does.

When you start telling people what your weaknesses are, they’re not going to be shocked. They’re already aware. Everybody knows your weakness. If you won’t admit your weaknesses, you’re the only one! We see each other’s weaknesses all the time, and most people are more than willing to point out the weaknesses in others. But we don’t want to point out our own.

If you’re wise, you won’t disguise your weaknesses. People appreciate honesty—when you are straightforward about where you are. It helps the people you’re sharing with to be more open, because they might be struggling, too.