Today’s question is: why can’t people let keep negative comments to themselves?
Background: the other day I received an email asking me to do a favor for a friend. I called PW to make sure the favor was OK and during the conversation he gave me a bit of advice for the the friend. Just something that he thought might make the friends situation a bit easier.
So I call the friend and say that we’d love to do the favor. At the end of the message I added the bit of advice from PW.
A little later the friend calls back laughing. I asked her if she got my message. She said yes and that PW was wrong about his advice (I can only provide the gist of what she said here. I do not have the capacity to remember stuff like that verbatim, especially when I’m walking to school to schlep lunch for the little people). What I heard, in between her chuckles, was that PW doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
So I said, “so you called me laughing to tell me that PW doesn’t know what he’s talking about? Ya know, he was only trying to be nice.”
What the heck is wrong with being nice these days? Honestly everyone should try it. Jeez.
The thing is, the conversation made me feel bad. PW was just trying to be nice. I get that she doesn’t want our advice. Point taken. However, I don’t understand why it is that people don’t just keep their negative comments to themselves?
It reminds me of the time a friend of mine brought me to a Landmark Forum event to see if I’d be interested in attending one of their classes. It wasn’t for me, but I did learn something that night.
I learned that making people wrong, makes you right, but comes at a price.
I wish everyone would realize that. Making people wrong hurts the love.
And I’m a lover.
my whole day would have gone better if she simply would have said, “thanks for the favor.” sigh.
