One of My Pet Peeves

So this evening I went out with a good friend of mine for a couple of drinks to catch up and have a good time.  This friend of mine recently ended his relationship with his significant other and so of course the topic came up in conversation.  What followed was kind of surprising, he asked me my honest opinion about the ex.  Well actually his sister did, leading me to pause, turn in his direction and ask him if he wanted to hear my opinion.  He replied that he wanted me honest opinion so I gave it to him.  I told him what I thought of the girl and his decision and attempted to give him the best possible friendly advice moving forward.  Some of it was probably tough for him to hear but in the end he heard me out and genuinely appreciated my feedback.  It was so nice to observe a situation where somebody asked for my opinion and then was not angry when I gave them brutal honesty.  My friend even told me how he admired me for my honesty in nearly all situations.  Just a side note: you're probably wondering what I said about my buddy's ex-girlfriend.  I'd rather not go into details but let's just say I wasn't shedding any tears of sadness when I heard the news that they were done.

But anyway, has anyone ever asked for your opinion and then given you a negative reaction when you have them your honest opinion? For instance, somebody tries on an article of clothing or an outfit and then says 'what do you think'?  You reply with a response that denotes you would suggest a different outfit choice and they are severely offended.  Or maybe somebody cooks you a meal and then asks what you thought of it, and you respond with feelings that are not 100% positive and the cook feels insulted.  I say if you don't want somebody's honest opinion, or can't handle the truth then don't ask.  The truth hurts, nobody will deny it, and if you are looking for compliments you must also be prepared for criticism. 

For this reason I also don't always like to give my opinion unless I am asked.  Some people in my life feel that in every situation and arena that they have to give their opinion and be heard.  In my life I have learned that their are times when people don't actually want to hear your opinion, but just want to tell you their idea and have you agree.  When this is the case I try to stay silent because I don't want to offend anyone by giving my opinion when it is not desired.  This way I give my opinion when it's wanted, and offended less people in the process.  It's unfortunate that I have come to censor myself this way but when people are so sensitive that the truth can really hurt their feelings one must take this into account.  Nevertheless, it still bothers me so much when somebody asks for your opinion and then is dissatisfied when your opinion does not match up with theirs.  If you want a yes man or woman than say so otherwise I'll give you the truth and don't be surprised if you get it from somebody else as well.