So your child runs into a relative who has a new hairstyle and a new outfit on. It is the ugliest outfit that your child has ever seen. Now the relative asks your child "What do you think of my new outfit and hairdo?". What does your child say?
Your child could be honest and say "That is the ugliest outfit I have ever seen." However, that could deeply hurt and offend your relative.
Now, your child could also say something more tactful like "It's not as pretty as your smile." That would not be a lie, and it would make the relative happy.
There's honesty, and then there's tact. The teacher in this case was not tactful.
You would have to ask one of them if you ever get a funky haircut and cheap clothes, who knows with styles nowadays. They might say ‘it looks like something from the Martha Stewart K-Mart collection’ (a most offensive insult IMHO).
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There's honesty, and then there's tact. The teacher in this case was not tactful.
Yeah, especially since there are so many politically correct sacred cows and golden calves out there...