I caught today's episode of The View which featured Beyoncé performing her latest single, "One Plus One." She delivered a powerful performance as always but she made a mistake on the lyrics, belting out "algeba" instead of "algebra" with an "r."
Usually I would recognize this as a simple mistake that anyone could make and completely brush it off. But she also said "algeba" on American Idol. And on Good Morning America. And at the Glastonbury Festival in front of 150,000 people. And on the recording (included below) for her brand new album "4" which millions of people will probably buy.
This can only mean one thing: No one has told Beyoncé to her face that she's making this mistake or surely she would have corrected herself.
Why are we so afraid to tell people the truth?
In 15 Reasons People Don't Tell the Truth, Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks put not wanting to hurt people's feelings in the number one spot on the list. Not telling people the truth is one of the ways we protect those who we care about. We may even be regarded as friendlier and more likeable for lying to our friends instead of telling them the truth, according to an article in U.S. News.
I used to fall into this group of people who don't tell the truth if it means hurting someone's feelings, until I was introduced to New York Times bestselling author, Carol Roth. Roth has something she calls the Spinach in Your Teeth® Advisory Philosophy. Spinach in Your Teeth® is a metaphor for any uncomfortable situation that requires the straight up truth. Roth doesn't think you should trust anyone who will not tell you the truth to your face. She says, "It may be a slightly uncomfortable or embarrassing conversation, but it is more than worth it in the long run."
So, taking a lesson from Carol Roth I'm going to say what Beyoncé's team, Columbia Records, the American Idol gang, and the women of The View have been too afraid to say: Beyoncé, you have spinach in your teeth.
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