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.