How Do You Politely Avoid Answering A Question?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,
  1. Enlist the help of a friend. …
  2. Prepare a canned answer in advance. …
  3. Use a “bridge” response to change the subject. …
  4. Restate—and reframe—the question. …
  5. Excuse yourself from an uncomfortable conversation. …
  6. Be straightforward about your discomfort. …
  7. Deflect with a joke.

What to say to avoid answering a question?

  • #1 – No comment.
  • #2 – I’m not at liberty to say.
  • #3 – Wait and see.
  • #4 – Let me get back to you.
  • #5 – I’m sorry, that’s confidential.
  • #6 – (Sorry) That’s personal.
  • #7 – I’d rather not talk about it.
  • #8 – Mind your own business.

How do you politely not answer a question?

  1. “I’m sorry but I’m not able to speak to that subject”
  2. “Thanks for asking but I’m not able to answer that question”
  3. “I’m sorry but that information is proprietary”

How do you politely deflect personal questions?

  1. Answer with another question. Pause and respond with a question of your own. …
  2. Dodge the question. …
  3. Shame the questioner. …
  4. Start with “No.” …
  5. Ignore the question. …
  6. Put them on the defensive. …
  7. Use a canned answer. …
  8. Give a general answer to a specific question.

How do I stop answering nosy questions?

  1. Notice the cues that signal oncoming nosiness. …
  2. Tell the truth. …
  3. Decide what makes the question “nosy.” …
  4. Keep the notion of “inclusive fitness” in mind. …
  5. Practice a socially acceptable way to respond to common questions. …
  6. Use deflection.

How do you respond to uncomfortable questions?

  1. I’m so sorry, I don’t like talking about that.
  2. I’d rather not discuss that.
  3. I don’t want to get into that.
  4. I’d rather not discuss this now/here.
  5. Sorry is it okay if we change the subject?

How do you say no to a question?

  1. I’m honoured but I can’t.
  2. I wish there were two of me. …
  3. Sorry, I’m booked into something else right now. …
  4. Sadly, I have something else. …
  5. No, thank you but it sounds lovely, so next time. …
  6. I’m not taking anything else right now.

How do I redirect a question?

  1. Redirect: When a student responds to a question, the instructor can ask another student to comment on his statement. One purpose of using this technique is to enable more students to participate. …
  2. Rephrasing: This technique is used when a student provides an incorrect response or no response.

Why do I get irritated when someone asks me a question?

You get irritated when someone asks you a simple question because

it probably has a simple answer and you expected them to be able to figure it out for themselves

.

Is avoiding a question lying?

Liars and truth-tellers both have pauses in their speech, but

good liars avoid answering questions

, scientists say. DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT think, it is almost impossible to tell a liar from the way they talk, according a new study.

How do you politely say none of your business?

You can say

I’d rather not share

, I don’t want to talk about it, or I’m sorry this is too personal. If the person keeps asking then I’d forget being polite. , I give it because I’ve lived it. “I don’t see how this concerns you,” or “I’m sorry, I don’t feel comfortable sharing that with you.”

How do you respond to difficult questions?

  1. Listen to the Question. Sounds simple, but with so many things calling for our attention, it’s easy to be distracted and not hear what the question really is. …
  2. Pause. …
  3. Repeat the Question. …
  4. Respond Honestly. …
  5. Know When to Stop.

How do you deflect a rude question?

  1. Go with your gut. …
  2. Don’t be rude back. …
  3. Use “I” statements. …
  4. Find out more if appropriate. …
  5. Say how you feel about being asked or about giving the information. …
  6. Depersonalise your answer. …
  7. Express your feelings if you want to. …
  8. Move them on.

How do you politely decline a request?

  1. I wish I could make it work.
  2. Unfortunately, it’s not a good time.
  3. I wish there were two of me, but I can’t.
  4. Maybe another time.
  5. Sorry, I can’t.

How do you politely decline someone?

  1. I’m sorry, but we had to refuse your request to move to another department.
  2. I’m sorry but I can’t help you, I have something planned out for tomorrow.
  3. No, I’m afraid I can’t do that for you. …
  4. As I said, I’m afraid I can’t help you at the moment.

How do you politely tell someone you don’t need their help?

I’ll let

you know

if I have questions or need your advice. Please allow me to handle this as I see fit. I’m sure you mean well, but I don’t need any more advice—though if you would be willing to [do something helpful], that would be a big help.

What is the questioning technique?

Questioning techniques –

a set of methods used by teachers when asking questions

, such as wait time and bounce. Experienced teachers recognise the power of questions. When skilfully delivered, questions boost student engagement, improve understanding and promote critical thinking.

Why do I get mad when people keep asking me questions?

#1, When you ask them a question, the answer they give is

so disrupted it will make your

head spin, the person asking the question will walk away feeling more confused and angry and that’s how we start to doubt ourselves, our identity, self-esteem, and question our own reality and judgment.

How do you encourage students to answer questions?

  1. Rotate responses. …
  2. Treat it like a game. …
  3. Post a schedule. …
  4. Try small group discussions. …
  5. Offer different methods of answering questions.

How do you respond to students answers?


Calmly ask the question again

, give a hint, ask another question that might elicit the same answer, be encouraging! Sound pleased when you get an answer, and praise the student if it’s right. Don’t make an issue of the resistance to answer. Have the student think out loud rather than say nothing.

Why do I get mad so easily?

Some common anger triggers include:

personal problems

, such as missing a promotion at work or relationship difficulties. a problem caused by another person such as cancelling plans. an event like bad traffic or getting in a car accident.

What do you call a person who gets annoyed easily?


Irritable

, testy, touchy, irascible are adjectives meaning easily upset, offended, or angered. Irritable means easily annoyed or bothered, and it implies cross and snappish behavior: an irritable clerk, rude and hostile; Impatient and irritable, he was constantly complaining.

Is it rude to not answer a question?

Yeah

it is rude to just stay silent

. However, it is not rude to verbally decline to answer, change the subject, explain if the question makes you uncomfortable or any number of things that don’t include answering. You don’t have to answer a question that you don’t want to. But just not answering is rude.

What do you do when someone dodges your question?


Intervene immediately

. Don’t let the dodger steer the conversation in another direction. Respectfully interrupt the conversation the moment you spot the dodge and redirect it back to your question or concern.

What does it mean when someone ignores your question?

People ignore your questions here because

they lack interest in the question

, or they don’t know what to say, or your question was unclear, or it sounded like a question from a high school exam and homework, or they just don’t feel like spending their time on Quora answering questions that day.

How do you respond when someone answers your question?

  1. If you agree or accept the answer and feel praise is in order, then write something like “Thank you. It was a good/great/useful answer.” Keep it light and lightweight.
  2. If you disagree or don’t like the answer, your normal routine should be just to ignore it (skip it). You might consider downvoting, of course.

How do you say no without being rude?

  1. Be gracious and polite. There is no need to be aggressive or confrontational. …
  2. Sleep on it. Very rarely do people need an immediate response to something. …
  3. Start with what you CAN do vs. what you can’t do. …
  4. Be sympathetic while remaining firm. …
  5. Be brief but honest.

How do you say no to a customer in a positive way?

  1. Ask for clarification.
  2. Explain what’s going to happen next.
  3. Be honest.
  4. Reframe the “no” using positive language.
  5. Make the customer feel heard.
  6. Offer alternatives.
  7. Explain the reasoning behind the current design.

How do you say no to an opportunity?

The mechanics of saying no

Prioritize delivering your response face to face. Express confidence in your decision and appreciation for being considered. Offer an explanation as to why this opportunity isn’t a good fit, but be succinct, i.e.: The timing doesn’t align with personal obligations.

How do you nicely tell someone to mind their own business?


Compliment

the person or say something nice to soften the reaction (she is trying to help you, after all). Be honest and tell her in a kind yet direct way that you don’t need her input. State the action that is the next step so it’s clear you don’t need advice. Redirect the conversation.

How do you tell someone they are rude in a nice way?

Be super polite! Sometimes being extra polite and super sweet can really highlight someone else’s rudeness. Demonstrating your own kindness can really make their rudeness

stand out like a sore thumb

. By the way, stick out or stand out like a sore thumb is a great idiom to say something is really noticeable or obvious.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.