“How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”  – Abe Lincoln

My dad has a more colorful version of this.  “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining”.  The point is the same, be transparant.   It has been nearly 20 years since I was in high school, I did not partake in the childish cliques, gossip, and other things that kids do to torment each other back then and I am damn sure not going to do that today.   Like me, don’t like me…. that’s up to you.  Ask me direct questions and you will get direct answers.  I expect this of others.   Those that I am truly close to in this world have this same trait, and I will always respect that even if I strongly disagree with them.   Long ago my mom told me to “not ask questions that you do not want to know the answers to”.   It took me a while to really get the full meaning of that, but the core message is that you should not only be transparant and honest people but you should be accepting of that honesty when you get it in return.