Apple_in_my_Eye wrote:
I suppose I just let it slide. I realized a while ago that sometimes people do that to avoid uncomfortable or depressing conversations. IOW, they know, but think "why say it out loud (and feel the badness of it)"? And I think parents have a natural aversion to being despairing to their offspring. So they say things they know aren't true sometimes. They're just never going to say, "yeah, you're right. It'll never happen. It's hopeless."
I agree with this. Actually I sometimes find myself giving false encouragement particularly to one friend who has a very defeatist attitude. I try to be honest, but sometimes I catch myself saying something I don't really believe. By doing so, I hope that if his mood lightens, he might get the motivation to climb out of his depression. But I think it also comes from a fear of getting dragged down by his depression myself.
To people who seem less fragile, I can be very blunt and honest.
Lars