It's not mean if it's true & other Michael Thomas Ford cliches

I have a bad habit of saying exactly what's on my mind without a filter. It's not meant as a malicious or hurtful thing, it's something, in fact, I find there's not enough of in the world. There was a time, when I first moved to Phoenix, that I had no friends, save for the books I checked out at the library, as I couldn't even afford the zillions of books I worked with on a daily basis. Michael Thomas Ford became my hero during those bus stop filled days. He was my gay older brother, guiding me through life as a young gay man in a new, exceedingly large city. His book, It's Not Mean If It's True, was particularly influential because the very title was mantra that meant something to me. You see, at the time, I was going on a lot of bad dates with men who I met online and in bars. 99% were complete losers who figured that their only chance of scoring a date, not just with me, but with anyone, was to lie, cheat and steal. I quickly realized that the number one quality I was looking for was simply someone who told the truth - even if it hurt! Thus, the idea that you can say anything, so long as it's true and you mean it, was born, and that we shouldn't be held so accountable for how it makes others feel. Not a perfect theory, I know. I also know it's clearly not how the world works.
I've recently been chided by my harshest critics for doing what I call "telling the truth" but what they call "being mean." I get why it can be mean, rude, hurtful and unhelpful to say certain things, I'm not a moron, nor am I insensitive. As a matter of fact, I think that many times my perceptions and observations are made because I am sensitive, admittedly sometimes overly sensitive, and not because I feel the need to malign, hurt, or polarize a person.
If I have spinach in my teeth, I expect you to tell me. I'll do the same for you. For me, telling the brutal truth is not a sign of negativity, or subversion, it's a sign of trust, truthfulness, and integrity. But that's just me.
So for all of you who have been stung by something I have said, I apologize. Those who know me, know the difference between things I say that rub you the wrong way, and things I say to intentionally hurt you. There are three statements in my life that I seem to see as a sort of recurring lesson plan:

• It's not mean if it's true.
• Everything in moderation, especially moderation.
• Mostly negative, but always optimistic.

I know that one day I'll achieve some sort of enlightenment on the meaning of these things, and I'll understand a bigger picture, a higher meaning, and a deeper responsibility to these things and the world around me. Until then, I'm going to try and be the best person I know how to be, even if that means telling the truth once and a while. No offense.