Fear kills. Protecting yourself backfires eventually. And living in fear of pain isn't really living at all.
Bad news doesn't hurt as much, if you hear it in good company. It's like, if somebody pushes you out of a 5th floor window and you bounce off an awning, a car roof, and a pile of plastic garbage bags before you smash onto the pavement, you've got a pretty good chance of surviving.
Topics... are what people talk about when they don't know each other well. Topics... are what men talk about.