The Cowardly Act Of Hinting - Grasshopper

“Can’t you take a hint?” No, not when a straightforward option is available.

 

Yes, after a few applications, I recognize what’s being offered as a hint, but I lose respect for the person when they circumnavigate what they’re hinting at.

 

People have direct and indirect approaches to just about every situation in life. You may not directly tell the bishop he has corn in his teeth at the parish picnic. You may create a subtler way by telling a fabricated story about the first time you met your boss and had corn stuck in your teeth. That’s the high side of hinting.

 

The low side is when you want to address something more serious than dental hygiene but your fear keeps the conversation cloaked in a hodgepodge of hints. The upshot is this: The person being obliquely hinted to feels exponentially worse when they finally discover your mission.

 

Hinting, in this context, shows a lack of respect for the person’s feelings and a lack of courage in you. Just in case this information about human nature is new to you, perhaps it’s time to get a clue.

 

All the best,
John