No, I'm not going to tell you...
Aww, okay, I'll change my mind. Here is a short guide to socially acceptable refusal:
a. " No, thank you. "
This works with nearly everything, and is the perfect answer to the wise and polite. They know not to press further. Sometimes proposals of marriage are given this reply as a matter of form, when the plan is to ultimately say " Yes ". A risky business, as the question may never be asked again...
b. " No, but thank you for asking. "
A little more complex, as it implies many things. It, too, should be taken discretely.
c. " Oh, Good God No! Never! Not for all the tea in China! No No No! "
It would appear that you may be responding somewhat in the negative. If you combine this with a facial expression of disgust and rage and bat at the enquirer with your fists, the impression is given that you do not favour the question.
d. " No. "
Flat. Plain. Incontrovertible. Asks no further contact. As good for technical matters as it is for personal ones.
The best decision you can make with all of these is whether you really mean " No " in the first place - or are merely angling for a better question. If that is the case you may stumble down the social pathway as you see fit.
If you really do mean " No. " stick to it by giving no apology and no explanation - Ben Disraeli was right about that. It provides no purchase for either demand or persuasion.
No comments:
Post a Comment