Star: I agree with you. I certainly went through that phase, and I think it's a necessary (or at least convenient) evil.
Sono : I don't fully practice what I preach here, so I should be taken with a grain of salt. However... I wonder if it really WOULD be that bad. I know that personally sometimes I NEED to hear things that I don't want to hear.
When I was in Hollywood, the pickup artists were extremely authentic and blunt and they told me a lot of things that no one else would. I grew because of it.
Also, when you are known to tell the blunt truth, compliments have value. The kind of person who is always trying to please people cannot offer a worthwhile compliment.
Another thing that Blanton argues is that we avoid saying things not because of the other person's feelings, but rather because we're scared to face them. I know that's true of me sometimes.
It's an interesting topic to think about. I will say that the handful of times I've told someone something I knew they didn't want to know, the END result was better.
Tynan