Word.
I've always withheld my opinions from others afraid of either backlash that would piss me off, or afraid I'd hurt someone's feelings. But the upshot of that is that most people never really got to know me, they knew me through a high-pass filter. So no real relationships.
Now I'm trying to express my opinions openly, in a spirit of conversation and pursuit of truth, and if misunderstandings do arise, express my opinions about them too, which serves to clear the air. (eg, i wasn't meaning to upset you by calling you a "toad-licking monkey humper", I was simply expressing my opinion that you lick toads and hump monkeys)
The world's so much more fun this way. : )
---
I ate a hooker half a bottle of knife.