I've told someone something and said I don't want to be asked questions about what I've said. then he asked me some questions and then says the questions are rhetorical, WHAT does he mean? Does he mean that he of course knows the answers of the questions? or does he just mean hes asking but he doesn't expect an answer?
2007-01-25 11:23:29 · 5 answers · asked by bebackhome_safe 2 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
Rhetorical questions are basically a way for people to state an opinion or make a point in the form of a question. The person speaking is not asking the questions to gain information by someone else giving him an answer. Instead the asker is just posing points of interest to anyone willing to listen. He doesn't expect an answer.
2007-01-25 15:05:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Rhetorical means he's not expecting an answer, he's just trying to give you some food for thought.
2007-01-25 19:31:47 · answer #2 · answered by adrianne 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They either want you to think about the rhetorical questions and how the questions relate to what you previously said, or either they want to illicit further responses from you so as to agitate you into giving more information concerning what you said. They're using psychology on you.
2007-01-25 21:23:30 · answer #3 · answered by Turnhog 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He really wants you to tell all, but since you've established a valid no questions boundary he thinks he can inoffensively batter it down by asking rhetorical (read non-personal) questions. Stick to your guns: good fences make good neighbors.
2007-01-25 19:32:13 · answer #4 · answered by teetzijo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Also, some people pose questions to themselves and speak them out loud. No need to answer him, let him do it himself.
2007-01-25 22:44:02 · answer #5 · answered by Khrag 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋