Recently a colleague made a thinly veiled accusation that I was biased about an analysis I was working on and was "spinning the data." The allegation hurt deeply because I have never consciously cooked any data to match an outcome I wanted and I sincerely believed I was working towards the truth. I went through much of the day distraught at this attack on my credibility but a series of discussions afterwards at home helped me learn three important lessons that included some surprising conclusions.