Of Honesty , truth and tact

I have always defined Honesty the way i want it to be.
To me honesty has always been, being honest to myself, the feeling that i did my best possible to get the possible outcome for me , my loved ones and may be my employers. I have never been in all due respects Gandhian, who has taught us to believe means justify ends.. but on the contrary i have followed the Gita ( See me writing THE GITA.. so dont ask me who is Gita now) stating ends justify means.
The Day i look at the mirror and dont like what i see, i will know i have been dishonest, and to be true.. that has happened a few times already.

The Means for an Honest end is either the truth or tact. Yes to me being truthful and bing honest are not the same.. being truthful might not be being honest and Vice versa.

A lot might ask me how do you define an Honest End, I would like to say no end is complete good nor complete bad, but i seek an End which is what thats called the greater good.

Coming Back to Truth and Tact , the two ways.. to an Honest end.
Again being tactful does not always mean you are not truthful, but it might mean you are being truthful in a diplomatic way.
Diplomacy, hypocrisy even a lie can be tact... but a tact is a best possible strategy, in a situation where the complete truth wont work, in lighter example, if some body asked me what did you think of the girl u just saw, and i dont know if he or she is expecting a positive reply, and even though i might be indifferent, i might give a subtle reply such as " she would look beautiful if she lost 5 kgs"....i am not being truthful here totally, but at the same time i am not being untruthful.. at the end its not leading to an awkward situation where i have my foot in the mouth, the person who questioned me is happy.. and i was honest to myself even though not being totally truthful.
But this is a lighter idea.. but what happens, in a situation far more sensitive, where stakes are high.. and may be diplomacy like previous statement might not work.. and the truth might make things averse..
This is a situation I have always dreaded, the best possible outcome out of a hypocritical white lie.. ( this is a situation lawyers find themselves a lot of time, thank god i am not one of them) but then again if my duty.. goal .. responsibility is the outcome.. which is of a greater good, which will do more better than worse of my lie, i wont think twice to lie. A person very close to my heart said, Its not always economics, but it is.. is the social costs of lie is lesser to the social and in-tangible benefits all derive out of my lie, rationally its better to lie.
The truth: The truth is in detailed facts. truth does not have emotions sentiments.. it does not see situations.. its blatant cold facts. It gives you the picture and sequence of events.. but might not give you the rationale of events.
And a true lie or the best possible method of tact, is not the event per say, but the to play around with the rationale of the events.
But at times i feel truth might be the best possible way of tact.. when u are completely clean, when no body can spot a mark on your shirt , smell a whisp of alcohol on your breath , or even put a finger on you..
This is when u use the Nuclear weapon ( read brhmaastro) of tact "tactlessness" .. calling a spade a spade.. after loosing yyour inhibitions will boost your ego a lot, u might get that respect that you deserved.. but also might put others back to place where they belong.. but the timing of this weapon has to be perfect.. or else it will misfire in your own territory, this aggresive weapon is always good to be up your sleeve as the last and final line of defence when everything else has failed

But then again i feel all humans are gray in nature.. and hence diplomacy will always remain the best tact to reach and honest end.. and truth will always be diluted