Most of all, don’t believe your friends when they ask you to be sincere with them. All they want is for you to sustain them in the good opinion that they have of themselves and provide them with the additional assurance that they take from your promise of sincerity. How could sincerity be a condition of friendship? A liking for the truth at all costs is a passion that spares nothing and that nothing can withstand. It’s a vice, sometimes a comfort, or a form of selfishness. So if you find yourself in that situation, don’t hesitate: promise to be truthful and lie as best you can. You will
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