How often do you lie to your friends or loved ones? I'll bet it's more than you are willing to admit. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news, but the fact is that in this life, you often have to be cruel to be kind. Protecting other people's feelings, most times, doesn't do anything but make situations worse.

I've had close friends lie to me and I can always tell when they do. Maybe it's coming from a good place but it just angers me and feels like they are hiding something.

Now I'm no angel having engaged in this behavior myself, even unconsciously. I try very hard not to and it's still a work in progress. There are many reasons why people do it, however, I believe it's downright cruel. The truth can hurt, but that doesn't make it right to lie.

Being real and brutally honest with those you love is gutsy and garners respect.