In the world of communications, sensitivity is not a luxury but a necessity.

So something might be "obvious" to you but not to others.  Using "it's obvious" too freely could earn you few friends and many turnoffs because it can be easily construed as a putdown, even though you might not have the intention at all.

So, avoid saying: "It is obvious that this sentence is better than that one."

Instead, say: "It seems to me that this sentence is better than that one."

When is it OK to use "obvious"?  How about this:

"It's obvious that MANY Iraqi hate Saddem Hussain and wish for a regime change."

Note that the following sentence could be offensive to some Iraqi and therefore not advisable:

"It's obvious that ALL Iraqi hate Saddem Hussain and wish for a regime change."

See the difference?

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THIS IS MY VIEW.
WHAT'S YOURS.

Thanks for your great job, Aihua!

"obvious" is a strong word. And also it is a hard word to me. See these sentences:

It seems that even if he can win the game, he cannot obviate the crisis of confidence.

It is obvious that even if he can win the game, he cannot obviate the crisis of confidence.

The audience can feel the difference in them.