> If you are defining honest as some midpoint between a white lie and an asshole, then what is being honest? Honesty is an endpoint, with the other side being

> If you are defining honest as some midpoint between a white lie and an asshole, then what is being honest? Honesty is an endpoint, with the other side being dishonesty (including lies). On a separate axis, you would have maybe "gentleness of communication". On a third axis, orthogonal to the first two, you might have "intent", ranging from benevolent to malevolent. So, complete honesty would be a plane. Some parts of the plane are difficult to reach (completely honest, completely gentle, completely benevolent), and may be impossible depending on the situation (timing, your relationship with the person, etc), and your own skills of communication. "Asshole" would be a cloud within that volume, mostly floating around where "malevolence" and "harshness" have high values. None of these things are binary values, though. The soft edges fade into each other; we're working with shades of grey.