] I had not thought about it, but you are absolutely correct, Marianne's "dramatic" nature seems to give her licence to throw tact to the four winds. She runs over people's feelings willy-nilly without a thought of who she is hurting.

The daughter of a good friend reminds me so very much of Marianne. She is very "new age-ish" and feels free to say whatever she is thinking/feeling, and if the recipient takes offense, it is their own fault for they are "choosing" to be insulted, they are "sourcing" the negative emotions.

This is very Marianne, isn't it? Marianne feels her emotions are pure and real and unfettered, and so there is nothing wrong with expressing them whenever she feels them. If people take it amiss, they are not as open and deep and sensitive as she is.