Okay - the platitude thing - um, there are people in the world that speak like this. Trust me. I know. Usually they are very elderly - but I have been there and you *have* to listen and nod respectfully and try not to doze off or roll your eyes and it is very difficult.

::feels for Clark::

sure, let the bad men electrocute your best friend because then he'll forget your secret and hell, he's just a Luthor anyway.

See, I like this because it acknowledges that the Kents are not this perfect little family - that they have a dark underbelly. And it is this decision - this counsel to Clark - that will turn around and bite them on the ass later on when Lex becomes the World's Greatest Villain (and I love saying that) because they, in no small way, are responsible for a lot that happend to him.