Someone is upset about something-do you try cheer them up or are you brutally honest?

Had a debate with a few people over this the other day, and everyone but me would just say “it’d be fine” just to try cheer them up, I actually said that I’d be brutally honest with them as false hope hurts more and try give them some advice. I just don’t see the point in saying it’ll all be fine, how is that a helpful response? In my defence, I’ve treated everyone since I was like 14 this way and they all tend to come to me if they were upset about something, because they actually like how I’m realistic and how I’m more helpful- if they send me a sentence about their problem often I’d send back a massive paragraph!

Had a debate with a few people over this the other day, and everyone but me would just say “it’d be fine” just to try cheer them up, I actually said that I’d be brutally honest with them as false hope hurts more and try give them some advice. I just don’t see the point in saying it’ll all be fine, how is that a helpful response? In my defence, I’ve treated everyone since I was like 14 this way and they all tend to come to me if they were upset about something, because they actually like how I’m realistic and how I’m more helpful- if they send me a sentence about their problem often I’d send back a massive paragraph!

I agree with you. Honesty is the best policy. But it may be also the way it’s said? If it’s said harshly, the person receiving the advice might take it the wrong way.

Telling the truth is important, but you can't tell the truth unless the truth has been revealed to you. You must then have had experience of truth working so that people feel your sincerity as well as understand what it is you are conveying.

Had a debate with a few people over this the other day, and everyone but me would just say “it’d be fine” just to try cheer them up, I actually said that I’d be brutally honest with them as false hope hurts more and try give them some advice. I just don’t see the point in saying it’ll all be fine, how is that a helpful response? In my defence, I’ve treated everyone since I was like 14 this way and they all tend to come to me if they were upset about something, because they actually like how I’m realistic and how I’m more helpful- if they send me a sentence about their problem often I’d send back a massive paragraph!