The truth speaks for itself

Is it always a good idea to speak the truth?
By that I mean your truth which is relative compared to your neighbor's truth. “Do I look fat in those jeans?” your roommate might ask after eating a few chocolate donuts and coming back from her beloved weight watchers meeting. “No you really don't,” you might reply after reflecting on whether or not it is a good idea to point out the truth. It might seem appropriate, especially if you run the risk of irritating someone who knows where you sleep, to tell an inoffensive white lie. While the instinct of self-preservation is admirable here, the truth that your friend might want to slow down on the donuts might be more beneficial to her, you and society as a whole in the long run.
In fact, being honest is a quality we need to develop, as many have forgotten the meaning of it altogether. Society tells us it's okay to tell “white lies,” but is it? Or as Amy Pohler and Seth Miers put it on Saturday Night Live, “Really! Really? Really!” Look where it has gotten our society by allowing people to tell white lies. It seems the problem facing our society is a lack of ethical conduct. What about all those crying CEOs asking for the candid tax payer to bail them out with one hand, while giving bonuses to their friends with the other.
So tell me, is it so innocent now to start off by lying to your roommate about her bottom? If she did not want an honest opinion she would not have asked you, and if she does not like the answer she can refrain from asking you next time. See how good it feels to tell the truth?
But there are harder truths to be told. Those that we need to face in order to keep humanity alive, for example. Can I tell my friend that he does not need the new iPhone, and that yes he can walk to the grocery store a quarter mile away? The truth is we all need to change our habits and do a little to change a lot. The truth is you should tell anyone whatever you want as long as you are respectful. In the olden days they used to call it tact. Associated with the truth it can be a powerful tool.
Your mission is not easy but you might just save your roommate from embarrassment.  If the truth you have to tell is a bit of a burning issue though, remember that tact can get you a long way.  If your issue is to tell your brother that his SUV is the reason we are in Iraq, you might want to phrase it so that he will listen to what you have to say.  Telling the truth is not easy but it will get you somewhere if you know how to package it.  So you could tell your Hummer-loving brother the following: “I guess someone as successful as you can afford 10 miles per gallon but I like my bicycle plus I get a work out.” And add “I know you would enjoy being part of the solution against global warming.” There are no lies here, may be a little sucking up but if your brother has a Hummer, he probably is successful at something!

Telling the truth feels good. It's as simple as that. Think how much better you would feel if you could tell your friends and family how you really feel. All that is possible,just use tact! No more hiding your opinions to keep someone happy. No more pretending.
Following this simple guide lines will put you and your loved ones in a better, less frustrating position. May be you will start a trend that will reach the most corrupted areas of the world and end world hunger and global warming.  After all as Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world.” So go ahead and be that change!