One of the sublimest things in the world is plain truth.

Plainness is not the opposite of depth. A fact stated without decoration can land harder than an elaborate argument, because there is nothing in it for the listener to fight with and nothing in it for you to hide behind. Most of the ornament we add to what we say is there to manage how we will be received. Strip that away and what remains is often startling in its force.

Notice the next time you pad something before saying it. Try the version with no cushion, no preamble and no softening clause, and see what happens to the conversation.