Socially speaking, not a lot of us have ever been educated on how to react to something straight - how to react without turning it into a headgame. We're not used to frankness, forthrightness, and doing things without dressing them in a technicolour dreamcoat of obfuscation.

When confronted with something we don't like we barb, we jab, we insult, we sneer, we attempt to make ourselves look better by making others look worse, we indulge in outright lies, we are petulent, we are rude, but my favourite are those people who express their beefs with you by attempting, with great deliberateness, to put you on the defensive.

If that's how you're going to express your disfavour with me, please save us both the wasted time, and don't bother. State your case, and I am more likely to be willing to work to find a solution.

If you act like a snot, you'll get treated like one.

If you cannot find the cajones to face me, then keep your peace, and keep mine also; because if you can't be forthright, no one needs to hear your petty indulgences - least of all the friends you waste your time bitching to because you haven't got the spine to take care of your own business with some modicum of honour.