Social Dilemna

You don't have to be at either end of the extreme, go somewhere in the middle - different situations call for different actions

Honestly? First one. Make people want to hang around you, not the other way around.

I think I am the second person. If I don't like someone for whatever reason and they speak to me I am not going to be rude and say '**** off I don't like you'. I wouldn't make an effort to speak to them and I would never hang around with them but I think it is a lot better for everybody if you show people respect and treat them nicely even if you don't like them.

Don't be the nice one if you aren't actually nice, just be yourself, it's easier than holding up an elaborate lie.

How the hell is there a social hierarchy on your course?

How the hell could there not be?

Wow...
This is an amazing way to try and justify being a bitch. There is a difference between "saying it how it is" and being rude, I feel that if you knew that difference, you wouldn't lose friends over your "personality".
I would say that you should learn some tact.

This, including everything else you've said so far suggests to me that you haven't matured beyond thinking about popularity all the time.

I'm fairly certain that the vast majority of people on your course wouldn't look at it as if there's any 'social hierarchy'. Uni is totally different to secondary school in that respect. No-one cares about who's popular.

In response to the main topic of this thread, act however you want to act. But you seem to be seeing things in black and white over the whole 'saying it how it is' thing. If you know that something you're going to say will upset a friend...don't say it. That's just common decency. And not disingenuous at all. Saying it isn't going to make anyone think, 'Wow, he speaks the truth no matter what the cost, I admire him'. They'll just think, 'Wow, he's a prick.' You'd be alienating people for no good reason. If you have a good reason for saying something to a friend that will be hard for them to hear - a harsh truth for their own good or something - then don't let it come out in an obnoxious way, just sit them down and talk about it like an adult. They'd probably appreciate that a whole lot more than you using it as ammo for 'banter'.

Just saying it like it is...

LOL .. I really like this reply because you've replied in a way that is comepletely spot on .. Sometimes my banter comes out in a way that I don't realise someone is going to take offence thats all .. Something I should probz should work on!! .... In my course there is definitely a social hierarchy no doubt ... You've just got to be in it to realise it .. If you are rich and were privately schooled basically you know its going down well for you .. If u weren't u gotta a lot of work to do .. This my sound pathetic but its just the nature of the people im amongst