I confess, I’m something of an enigma. As a scientist, I care deeply about truth; but as a human being, I care about people’s feelings.
When I taught physics and math at Cornell and Harvard, I always tried correcting a student’s wrong answer with compassion. My goal was to educate students without shaming or demoralizing them.
One of my strategies for doing that was to give partial credit on homework and tests. I congratulated a student on the parts of an answer they got right and gave them points for it - while, at the same time, explaining to them where they went wrong.
Another strategy of mine was borrowed from Socrates. If a student gave a wrong answer to a physics or math problem, rather than jumping down their throats, I’d ask them a series of questions that invariably led them to realize their mistakes. This always made them feel like a success, not a failure.
Not all teachers and professors agree with my teaching strategies. Many believe in speaking the truth bluntly, without any regard for someone’s feelings. In effect, their attitude is: “Truth is everything! Feelings be damned!”
Today, as you no doubt realize, many people in the Western world have veered in the opposite direction. Their guiding principle is: “Feelings are everything! Truth be damned!”