When answering questions do you tell people what you think or what you think they expect to hear?

Question

Do you try to sugar coat the answer so they will listen?

Answer 1

In communication, you will always try to pitch your answers to the need of the person who is asking the question. There are many approaches to answering a question. For example:

a. Simple, direct answer
b. An answer, with explanation
c. An exhaustive answer

You can also answer with

d. Another question (sometimes by asking another question, the answer becomes obvious)
e. By contradiction (show an example of how ridiculous a situation can be by extending a particular train of thought)
f. By humor, just laugh it off

Emotive Answers
g. Someone who need affirmation
h. Someone who is hurt and needs sympathy
i. Someone who is burdened and needs compassion
j. Someone who needs guidance

Others
k. Many other ways...

Coming back to your questions, "Yes" to all your points based on the perceived need of the situation.

Answer 2

It depends on the nature of the question.

As far as sugar coating the answer I think it greatly depends on the person who is asking the question, and what kind of question it is.
If its a child or a teenager, I try to answer as I would if it were one of my own children asking the question. I try to be, as honest as I can, factual when needed, as appropriate as the nature of the question will allow.
I think that everyone of us, needs to remember that as many adults that are on here, there is someone's child as well.
We need to be careful in how we answer as if it were us asking the question would we appreciate rudeness and critism from others?
Everyone has their own two cents worth, and people can smell a bullsh!tter a mile away.
In getting someone to listen to how you think, why you think what you think and be willing to discuss and debate with you in order to come to an agreeable outcome, you must be careful in how you present your answers.

You have to read more than what is written and read between the lines of each question.
You can sugar coat something to such an extent that you may have not said anything at all to oppose anything.
On the flip side of that you can state facts, and neither be cruel, rude nor obsecene and still get the point across.

Answer 3

no I do try to be as understanding as possible when answering someones question and try to see if from their point of view. But this is an open forum with a lot of different views and opinions and if you are looking for honesty, I will give it to you, it may not be what you want to hear, but when you ask a question in a forum such as this then that is the risk you take and you need to be prepared for that. I try not to be too harsh or judgmental, but I will not sugar coat something just to please the asker.

Answer 4

When I answer my questions I just tell them exactly what I am thinking.....why sugar coat it?
People should be honest on here I think that is the whole point of asking a strangers opinion.

Answer 5

I tell them what I think. After all, that is what they are asking for.
I do try to be as open minded about the question as possible and not let my personal beliefs/experiences get in the way of giving an objective opinon.
Sometimes I reword things so that the blow is not as painful, but I don't tell someone who got dumped that "s/he will come back! Don't worry!"Doing something like that is pointless and doesn't help the person asking the questions at all.

Answer 6

its not called sugar coating, its called lying. i am the kind of person that answers a question with a direct answer. i tell the truth, and the people that know me, know i will not tell them what they want to hear. so, needless to say, i find that people don't ask me things much anymore. another words, most people don't want the truth.

Answer 7

When I respond to a question, I endeavour to be as honest, open, and helpful as I possibly can be.
Quite often, the response I give won’t be what the asker was hoping to hear. If someone was hoping for a ‘sympathetic’ response, and I don’t believe they deserve one, I won’t give it.
I get tired of the ‘poor me’ attitude shown by some people, and I feel that they are feeling sorry enough for themselves without me having to feel sorry for them as well.
If people want someone to agree with them all the time, they should start their own fan club !

I’m not interested in trying to make friends or influence people…
I am here to try to help them, and if that means me having to bring them down a level or two so that they get back in tough with ‘reality’ then so be it.
If I don’t get the ten points for being chosen as ‘Best Answer’ then I guess I can live with that !!!
I aim to 'help'... Not to 'please' !!!

Answer 8

i dont try to sugar coat anything, they ask for an opinion and i give it to them

Answer 9

I tell them what I think.
I never sugar coat anything. That is not being honest.

Answer 10

nicely... We only found out we are PG final week! Its been an prolonged warfare for us after a miscarriage approximately 2 a million/2 years in the past at 20 weeks... B/c of the previous m/c, we are somewhat scared to tell all of us. So we are waiting till Christmas while all our relatives would be at the same time. i'm going to be appropriate on the top of my first trimester if this little one sticks appropriate after Christmas. For my father and mom (massive hippies) we are talking approximately getting them an previous college "Woodsy Owl" crammed animal guy and putting a sprint outfit on it and giving that as a recent. For his father and mom, sister and brother-in-regulation, his Aunt and cousins, and his great-grandma (who will allllll be at the same time in one domicile for X-mas!) we are able to offer each and each individual a small youngster's e book with a duplicate of the sonogram caught in it. we are able to draw a sprint bubble out from the sonogram and make it look like the little one is asserting "Will you please examine me this on July 6th, 2009?" (My EDD). I assume my DH's grandma balling her eyes out. i'm so emotional appropriate now i'm going to be too! :) airborne dirt and dust to all! never supply up!! We did no longer!!!