the statement constituted a tacit admission of the importance of candor to a rational discussion.

Based solely on observing this post without context or inferrence, I think the statement constitutes a tacit admission of the importance of candor to getting people on LessWrong to listen to you rather than its importance to "rational discussion."

I had actually intended to write another whole paragraph explaining that maybe you were making a throwaway comment and maybe you were making a serious argument, but either way I felt I should present my rebuttal for one reason or another. Unfortunately, I got called away to work in a hurry and had to truncate my post mid-sentence and unedited. That said, it reads to me like a relatively minor piece of awkward/socially inept phrasing that I would have probably ignored if I'd been on the receiving end. Have I missed some piece of LW social etiquette, or is this just one of those moments when I sound like a complete berk and don't notice it until it's pointed out?

My point, though, was that it is possible, and often optimal, for both candor and sensitivity to coexist. After all, if maintaining pleasant relations and high-spirits allows individuals to perform at a higher intellectual level, then there is appreciable utility to making sure your honesty doesn't grate on people. This doesn't mean one has to be dishonest, just that sometimes it's better to take precautions like the ones taken in the original post.

I suppose another example of that sort of caution is apologizing when you sound like a berk, so: sorry. :)