How often do you prefer people to explain themselves?

5 Comments

Reading a book where a girl hires a personal-investigator to help her because she was framed for a murder. After several days, when the girl has no luck and has lost all hope, the PI confesses on the phone to her that he was at the original scene. He said that he was the one to erase surveillance evidence so the murder could not be tied to him, and to avoid being made a scapegoat, even though he is innocent. The girl doesn't say a word and hangs up.

Everyone likes straight forward people. But some people have a compulsion of being too honest with people and explaining their intentions, thoughts, feelings, past, present etc. This has nothing to do with lying. It is about being upfront with the truth or explaining yourself when nothing has been asked. Personally I have been guilty of doing this and consider it to be a sign of weakness

What do you think? How often do you prefer people to explain themselves?

All the time 3
Most of the time 6
Half of the time 0
Not too often, I prefer mystery and conciseness 2
Never 1
Only if it's relevant to me. 1
Only when the time is right. 2
Only when I ask for an explanation. 3
Other 1
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Comments ( 5 )
  • [Old Memory]
    9 years ago

    I like when people over explain things because it makes the subject more clear. People say I overexplain things and repeat myself a lot, which I never notice when I am doing it, but I always thought it is a good thing that is necessary for clear communication that is not confusing.

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  • WhiteStallion
    9 years ago

    I think people should just explain themselves upfront because I'm gonna have to waste time anyway asking them.

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  • thegypsysailor
    9 years ago

    I hate it, especially when it is an employee. If there is a job to be done, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference to me why it didn't get done (assuming it could be done at all); it wasn't done, period.
    If someone is late, it does not matter one little tiny bit why; the boat leaves on time; 50+ people are not going to give two shits WHY they are sitting in the hot sun waiting for the boat to leave.
    Excuses and explanations are nothing but a waste of time, time better spent just doing the thing properly.

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    • slings_and_arrows
      9 years ago

      You are really...harsh.

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      • thegypsysailor
        9 years ago

        Yeah, but I pay very, very well for good employees and there are usually a ton of perks. There are few better jobs, if you can live by the rules; sailing for a living, free food, free booze, free uniforms, free place to live AND good pay.
        But think about it; you can't hold up any scheduled conveyance for a tardy employee (a plane/train w/350+ pass?), and why they are tardy really doesn't change the fact that they aren't there on time, does it? Exactly what do you think the FAA is going to say if it must reschedule 100 airplanes because an employee was 'stuck in traffic' or 'had a flat'? Nope, the real world does not work that way.

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