To Be Honest

How many times have you heard someone begin answering a question by saying “Well, to be honest” or “in all candor” or something similar? The only logical interpretation of such a response is that the person is not normally honest but will make an exception for this question. That may not be their intention, but my suggestion would be that we all speak honestly all the time so that none of us ever have to start the answer to a question with qualifying phrases like “to be honest.”