Can't Please 'Em

Sometimes folks just don't see eye to eye on things. 

Sometimes folks brains just work differently, think differently and communicate differently.

Sometimes, how we phrase things makes a big difference.

Sometimes when we say something, it can be interpreted in a totally different way. And, adding specifics can be beneficial to understanding.

 

Nevertheless, it never hurts to ask instead of telling.

For instance, "I am painting my house red. Will you help me by loaning me a paintbrush?"

Or, "I am painting my house. Can you come over tomorrow at noon and paint for an hour?"

Phrased those ways certainly sounds better than:

"I hate blue. I'm painting my house red." (Expecting an offer of help.)

Or, "My house needs to be red. Come over and paint."

Seriously, when people are instructed, informed or plain-old told what to do, they quickly lose interest and often learn to "tune out" the "tellers." Especially after a lifetime of being told how things are. Always being spoken down to. Always getting the information after any discussion is over; AND pretense of being listened to as an annoying courtesy, a.k.a. patronize.

From a lifetime of being treated this way, the brain learns to shut out the information. It becomes calloused and hard -- not letting any of the information or communication through. It is a protective measure, I think, to protect one's soul from pain and hurt.