A master and his disciple met the governor at the edge of a village. The governor mistakenly assumed they had come out to welcome him and thanked them for the trouble.
The disciple immediately corrected him: they were leaving on a journey, though they certainly would have offered a grand welcome had they known he was coming.
Later, the master asked why the disciple had needed to correct the mistake and make the governor feel foolish.
The disciple defended himself: allowing the misunderstanding would have been deception.
The master disagreed. They had said nothing false. The governor had deceived himself, and the disciple had chosen accuracy without considering kindness.
Source: Anthony de Mello, “Responsibility,” One Minute Wisdom, PDF p. 64. Retold.
What it argues
Not every false belief creates a duty to correct, and not every correction is an act of honesty. Truth can be used to serve the listener or to display the speaker.
Use it for: tact, unnecessary correction, radical honesty, and intent versus impact.