If You Cannot Handle an Honest Opinion, Please Do Not Ask

Have you ever been in a meeting or even a family chat where someone asked for your opinion — and then got upset the moment you gave one? Welcome to my world.

I have a very bad habit of calling a spade a spade. Apparently, in today’s world, that is offensive. I usually try to keep quiet during most meetings or conversations. I sit, I listen, I nod politely. But then someone decides to say, “What do you think?” Out of respect, I respond honestly. I do not sugarcoat. I do not twist things to please people. I just say what I believe.

And then, all of a sudden, the room changes. The same person who asked for my opinion now looks like I attacked them. They forget that I did not volunteer my thoughts — I was asked. Instead of agreeing, disagreeing, or simply moving on, they take it personally. Some even treat it as a challenge to their authority or position.

From that point on, I become the problem. It becomes awkward. Sometimes, I even pay a price for simply answering a question truthfully.

Here is a simple truth: if you cannot handle an honest opinion, do not ask for one. It is not that hard.

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