Is it loving to tell someone something that they don't wanna hear?

I'll just point towards the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

"Only what lives can grow." Is the part of the person which is alive capable of responding to what they don't want to hear? Does hearing it afford that living, active part of them an opportunity for growth? Is the voice coming from a love for that life, and a love for its growth? Or is the person doing the telling doing it for their own sake, speaking to a part of someone who isn't alive, isn't active, can't grow in that way? No discernment is required to tell a brick wall to be something else because of what we want. But a person must be able to step halfway outside of themselves to see another's life from the inside-out. One can be wrong about the potential one sees there, one can be wrong about what growth means, but so long as it is done selflessly and for the sake of the other, I think it can be said to be done with love. Which is not to say that it is good, or wise, or ends well; think of all the pain wrought by unwise love.

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Leviticus 19:17 The Talmud makes very clear, however, that this only applies if they will listen...