Smooth Operator

Not seldom in ministry, I have been in situations where people have needed to respond to very awkward questions (in Afrikaans, to a tameletjie, or sticky toffee). From my experience, the finest answer is always the straight one, even if it is the most difficult one. I would think it is worth a person's risk of being straightforward. Anything else comes across, at best, as revealing a smooth operator -- and as they say, first impressions last. That's my sense, from the outside looking in. OBSERVATION: And the straight answer, in the long run, tends to pour oil on troubled waters, too.