After she left I pondered over her remark. Was I really a hypocrite? If covering up a harsh truth with a coating of sugar is hypocrisy, then perhaps I am a hypocrite. But for me, tact is more important than the bare cruel truth. I am of course not supporting those vicious lies which are harmful. But I believe that truthfulness does not imply a licence for rudeness. Some people, who claim to be truthful, do not mind whom they hurt with their acid tongue. I think that it is permissible to speak a white lie, since it does not harm anybody. If a lady, with her newest hairstyle, asks for my opinion regarding her looks, should I say that she looks hideous even if it happened to be the truth?