What should I say?

Theres this oft-quoted saying - If a diplomat says yes he means maybe, if he says maybe he means no and if he says no, he is not a diplomat.  

I think diplomacy is not for everyone simply because it doesn't work if it  is not natural. Often, people in their effort to be politically correct end up sounding weak-minded  and cowardly or worse, opinion-less. Instead of coming across as discreet, they come across as wimps, if you will pardon the expression.

On the other hand, there are lots of people who are forthright and blunt but manage to remain non-contravertial and retain confidences. This too is a skill and can go horribly wrong if you don't do it right. Personally, I dont trust people who are needlessly free with information nor do I consider what they say credible. They may be only being open or frank or whatever but they run the risk of sounding indiscreet (or blabber-mouths, like we would say in school) and therefore not trust-worthy.

Then there is this third, very tempting option - to say something but say nothing. If you observe the people around you, you'll be surprised to see how many people practise this, though they have different ways of doing it. Some resort to absolute non-responses like - are you sure?. Some choose to answer questions with a question, a tactic that works very well. Yet others use placebo words to soften the blow.

Its up to you to find the Golden Mean in all this.

You must be thinking - huh, why this exercise? Lets just be our natural selves. Yes, I wouldve agreed with you around two months back. But now, thanks to the lawyer episode, I am just a little wiser and I thought I must share this...

But personally, from having very little to say to anyone and not really caring to respond, I totally advocate Omerta!