Honesty... can we justify it?

Can you hear your Mother? Do the words of your teacher and preacher and even your best friend echo in your brain? They are all saying the same thing. And You!? You believe it and honor those words because well, simply because. What words, you say? "Honesty is the best policy!" Hmmmmmmmm? Is it really? I wonder?
Aren't there truly times when perhaps less Honesty is a good thing? "Does this dress make me look fat???" What, are you kidding!???? Go ahead men, answer that one. Tell her that there is just a tiny, the tinsiest little belly bump that shows in that dress. Say to her "honey, I just think something less tight might look better." Uh huh, you will find out just exactly how much Honesty is NOT always the best policy. Your night, hell, the rest of your life would be better if you just had said, "You look fabulous" and called it good.
My thoughts are a bit abstract today. Blame it on Bipolar, on spring is here or just blame it on my being awake. At any rate, these are my thoughts today. If you are close with someone, here or off-line and you are talking and there are things you want to say to them because you love them, do you? If they ask a question and you know that any answer you give to them will hurt them, do you answer the question with your heart or do you simply say enough to stay with the conversation? What is the real answer? How much is too much honesty?
We allow ourselves justification for other dishonesty's. We tell our children to go to bed early on Christmas Eve. If they don't then Santa won't come to their house.Wer tell them about an Easter Bunny that doesn't exist. We find ways to say it isn't really lieing but it is. And so, is it alright to be a little... "less than honest" with other things in life?
Concerning the heart... Do you tell someone you love that they look nice or are beautiful for the sake of feelings or do you speak honestly? Perhaps better to not speak at all. I am so serious here this morning. What makes a lie ok to tell? And is my little lie really smaller, less significant, less likely to land me in Hell than someone elses based on it's content? I think there must always be honesty in a relationship. Sharing thoughts or being 100% open leaves nothing to question but...it also leaves one vulnerable. Telling someone that you will answer them honestly is good only to the point of where it will hurt someones feelings. I guess then it leaves me with this question. Would you become an open book, even at the risk of losing someones love??????