I spent decades of my life as a mediocre guitar player because everyone told me I sounded great. Until someone understood that I really wanted to be a good guitar player, and I was ready to work for it. That person told me that I sucked (and explained why and how). There is hardly another person in my life to whom I owe more gratitude. I believe this is a great example of "honesty with a purpose." All those people who told me I sounded good did the right thing: they had no reason to believe that the truth would have done me any good, and they wouldn't have been able to give it to me in a way that would have helped me. That one person who did tell me the truth knew that I was ready for it, and that it would be for the best.