"Read any books recently?"
"That's the most unoriginal conversation opener in the history of human communication."
"That's a very unkind observation."
"I'm not a kind person."
"It doesn't mean you can't fake it – that's what most of us do."
"Oh, and faking isn't unkind?"
"It is, but at least it doesn't hurt the other person's feelings."
"Pshhh, spare me the emotional blackmail. I haven't hurt your feelings."
"Yeah, but you could have."
"I think it's better to say the truth, always. It can be hurtful from time to time, but lies can never stand the test of time – eventually the truth comes out, hurting the very person we meant to protect."
