The ABC of Questions

May 6, 2007

A. When you ask a question and you get a ‘yes’ for an answer, and a ‘maybe’ when you ask it again, the real answer is ‘no’. This also goes vice versa. Example: do you like me? Yes. Really now you do? Maybe, I dunno. This is a world of yeses and nos. The grey shades may lie in between, but there is a yes and no, generally. Know how to feel it out; unfortunately this requires a lot of cynicism on your part and a lot of vulnerability on the other person’s.

 

B. The best way to not answer a question is to ask another question. However, this strategy does not work if the said snotty person knows it’s a strategy. Do it subtly. Shift the conversation to a neutral topic. The best way to do this discretely would be to ask a question regarding something you know is more important to the other person than knowing this important thing about you.

 

C. Don’t ask a question which you might not want to hear the answer to. Some people are silly enough to destroy their illusions this way. Because you see, some things are better left unsaid and some people do not have the strength to hear them. If you know they’re there in the Other Dimension of Unsaid Slithering Things, and you even unfortunately know what they are, then you know what to do already. Stop being a smartass and stop asking. Being sure is a foolish talent.