A little white lie

"The truth hurts", so how does that validate someone's actions of sharing their regrettable past in order to free their guilt? Relationships cannot exist without honesty, but surely if someone was to be afflicted by the truth, wouldn't it be simpler for the guilty to deal with the burden themselves rather then harming the innocent? If you love someone it is instinctive to try and protect them from harm's way, so how can one justify hurting someone they care about purposely, just so they can sleep with a free conscience? In a world of white lies, the world would be based on ignorance but a lot less bonds would be severed.. pity I suck at lying.