A prince came to the Buddha with a trap dressed up as a question: would an awakened person ever say something other people didn't want to hear? A yes would make him no different from anyone else. A no would contradict him, since he'd already said something harsh about one particular monk. The answer refused the trap. Pleasant wasn't the test. Speech had to be true and useful, and even then it had to wait for the right moment. That knocks out two popular excuses. "But it's true" isn't enough if the remark helps nobody. "I was only being nice" isn't enough if the words are false. Your inbox will serve up plenty of both before lunch. Before you send one difficult message today, check three things: true, useful, timely. If one's missing, leave it in drafts.