I was recently told that I was “too honest” by a close friend of mine.

What you’re looking for is how to be more tactful in your communication. And there’s probably a combination of learning how to let some things go without saying anything. Generally speaking, I don’t say anything at all unless someone asks me to. And some of this will just come with time and practice. But, since you’re looking for help today, there are plenty of resources here to help you. I recommend starting with Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition (O’Neill Library: BF637.C45 C78 2012).

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.