Meirl

Ppl like to be talked down to and catered to. Making flat statements no matter how accurate upsets ppl for fuck knows y

I also go with “Oh, uhm, I think it might be-“ because some of the random knowledge I have either freaks people out (I once remembered a vague thing someone said to me two years earlier and they found it odd) or makes them think I’m a dork.

Yeah I do notice myself doing this in moments where I’m dead certain I’m right. Give off a decent sense of self doubt and allow the other person to “fact check” for themselves. It’s easier and usually faster than trying to convince them, plus then I don’t have to try and sound really sure of myself

Well everyone has his / her own ways of expressing a personal opinion.

If there’s one thing true of the internet, it’s that it’s full of people who are both polite and correct.

not a good move tbh. People will readily interprete it as self-doubt and not politeness. Imo suggestions work better. What about X, have you conseidered Y. Soften the blow without debasing yourself.

Lol I say stuff like this to hedge in case I’m wrong

“I believe” “I think” “I’m pretty sure” any way to make what your saying a 99% for correctness but leave that 1% for incorrect. Now of course you are not going to be correct because the topic you decided to actually engage with enough to talk about you remember fluently. But telling the other person to shut the fuck up and listen isn’t nice

You aren’t allowed to be 100% right anymore. It always has to be a maybe

Same. I have a recent comment that I started with « maybe I’m wrong » knowing I was right.

I’m starting to really hate using these qualifiers though because I get lots of responses that “feel” like being talked down to. lol. 

I had a professor friend who used to say “ I’m only 99.9%sure but ….

Some really smart people are say,…

In my experience the most knowledgeable, and best, leaders do this in a genuine way. You don’t come across as aggressive, you get people to think for themselves, and you’re opening up the conversation for them to challenge your knowledge in a productive way. You can guide them to the right answer or they’ll surprise you with new information.

The people who state “fact” are the most insufferable people because they are often wrong and use confrontational language doing it. It makes you look like an ass when you’re eventually exposed for being wrong. They then brush it off like it never happened. No one wants to be around these people long term. 

It only takes a couple times being confidently incorrect before people start questioning your knowledge all the time.

If I say that it means there is a possibility that I could be wrong so Don’t take my statement as an accurate fact.

This is just pure arrogance.

Witness testimony is not reliable because your memories change as time goes on. So just because you remember something doesn’t mean that is how it happened.

Especially in communication where you might have phrased something in a way that was misunderstood.

[deleted]