14 May The Attack Question
I the only person who is annoyed with this:
“…and you are…?” as a method of learning about another person?
I mention it because, as an introductory communication, I feel it lacks a sense of collegiality or even cordiality, which characteristics can lend a measure of grace to the simplest of interactions. Perhaps those who use this aggressive quasi-question aren’t interested in relationship building. Fair enough. But cordiality as a by-product of even the most pedestrian of exchanges isn’t a bad thing, and it could even lead to good things. A smile, maybe? I guarantee there aren’t any smiles forming in my responses to “…and you are…?”
How hard is it to form a question that is a complete sentence and doesn’t sound like an attack?
“Could you tell me your name, please?”
And it is likely that the answer to such a query will be what the person is seeking, and not the answers that come to my mind:
“…and I am?”…..annoyed, not interested in telling you, wondering why you can’t ask a real question, tired of waiting.
Those are the polite ones.
So how about the rest of you? …and you feel…..?