What Should Devin Do?

Devin says: My friend Kyle is awesome. He’s so funny, and we like all the same movies. There’s just one problem: His breath is seriously bad. Should I tell him, or pinch my nose and keep my mouth shut?

Devin says: My friend Kyle is great. He’s funny, and we like all the same movies. There’s just one problem: He has really bad breath. Should I tell him, or keep my mouth shut?

Devin says: I feel incredibly lucky to be friends with Kyle—he’s hilarious, and we like all the same movies. There’s just one problem: His breath is absolutely terrible. Should I let him know, or pinch my nose and keep suffering in silence?

    Imagine that you left the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe. Wouldn’t you want someone to tell you? Sure, it might be embarrassing in the moment. But it’s better than walking around all day not knowing. Think about that, and I’m sure you’ll make the right choice: Be honest with Kyle. That’s how real friends treat each other. 

    I’m sure he’ll understand that you’re just looking out for him. And what’s the other option? It’s only a matter of time before someone makes a mean joke about his breath. I’m sure you don’t want Kyle to find out that way. He’ll wonder why none of his so-called friends ever told him he had this problem. 

    Someone is going to tell Kyle eventually, and it might as well be you. You’ll be nice about it, and that will make all the difference.

    What if you left the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe? Wouldn’t you want someone to tell you? Sure, it might be embarrassing in the moment. But it’s better than walking around all day not knowing. Think about that, and I’m sure you’ll make the right choice: Be honest with Kyle. That’s what real friends do.

    I’m sure he’ll realize that you’re just looking out for him. And what’s the other option? At some point, someone will make a mean joke about his breath. Kyle shouldn’t have to find out that way. He’ll wonder why none of his friends ever told him he had this problem.

    Someone is going to tell Kyle sooner or later. It might as well be you. At least you’ll be nice about it.

    If you walked out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you? While it might be embarrassing in the moment, it would still be much better than walking around all day unaware. Think about that, and I’m sure you’ll make the right decision and be honest with Kyle. Honesty can be uncomfortable, but it’s part of being a real friend.

    Kyle will understand that you’re just looking out for him. And anyway, let’s face facts—at some point, someone is going to make a hurtful joke about his breath. If Kyle finds out about the problem that way, he’ll wonder why none of his so-called friends ever mentioned it to him before.

    Someone is going to tell Kyle eventually, and it might as well be you. You’ll speak to him with kindness, and that will make all the difference.

    You say that Kyle is your friend. So why would you want to hurt his feelings by telling him his breath stinks? If I were you, I would just keep my mouth shut and try to ignore it. Remember how he makes you laugh and what a good friend he is to you. Those things are more important than how he smells, right?

    Some medical conditions can cause bad breath. If that’s the case, Kyle probably already knows and can’t do anything about it. Your telling him will just make him feel awful. He might even get mad at you for bringing it up.

    If you really can’t take it anymore, there’s a nicer way to handle it. Try dropping a hint. Offer him some gum or a mint when it gets bad. I bet he’ll understand. And neither of you will have to deal with a completely awkward conversation.  

    You say that Kyle is your friend. So why would you want to hurt his feelings by telling him his breath stinks? If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut. Remember how he makes you laugh and
what a good friend he is. Those things are more important than his breath, right?

    Some health problems can cause bad breath. If that’s the case, Kyle probably already knows and can’t do anything about it. Your telling him will just make him feel bad. He might even get mad at you.

    If you really can’t take it, there’s a nicer way to handle things. Drop a hint: Offer Kyle some gum or a mint. He’ll get the message. And you’ll avoid an awkward conversation.

    If you value Kyle’s friendship so highly, why would you want to hurt his feelings by telling him his breath stinks? I think you’d be better off just remaining silent and trying to ignore it. Aren’t Kyle’s many good qualities—like his excellent sense of humor—more important than
fresh breath?

    Sometimes unpleasant breath is the result of a medical condition. If that’s the case for Kyle, he probably already knows he has bad breath and can’t do anything to correct it. By bringing it up, you’ll only embarrass him—and he might end up resenting you.

    If you really find Kyle’s breath unbearable, try dropping a gentle hint by offering him some gum or a mint. He’ll probably get the idea, and neither of you will have to suffer through a completely awkward conversation.