Truthful without wounding

For Kant, lying, even out of kindness, ruins the trust on which all speech rests. But to be truthful never meant telling everything, nor bludgeoning bluntly. This rule holds truthfulness in daily life: before the temptation of a comforting lie, you seek the true word that respects the other, and you keep ever clear the line between staying silent and deceiving. It helps sustain relationships where your word can be believed, without wounding for no reason.