The news in yesterday’s newspapers was that PM had decided to cut down the number of policemen required to secure his travel route when a forthright police constable told him that policemen were kept so busy on bandobust duty of vips that they had no time for other activities referring to pm’s swach bharat campaign of keeping the thana clean. This short, honest and succinct answer made me think about one line answers as compared to long winded verbose and lengthy replies which are inherently diplomatic and tends towards dishonesty. A long and lengthy explanation would have been polite, for example if the constable had replied that inspite of their trying to keep the premises clean the people who came to the station had habit of spitting, dropped empty packets and polythenes which dirtied the surroundings that too would be correct but only half the truth. One line answers are seldom appreciated by the person asking the question. This is because they are either yes or no replies. If reply is positive which is most often not the case as then the question itself would be too easy or facile. If the reply is negative which is most often the case, it leaves little room for manoeuvre to the replier or the questioner. If the answer is fuzzy , it gives the replier a chance to modify, amend or firm up his reply when he gets his next question, depending on the tenor of the next question and the attitude of the person asking it. Generally a person who gives one line replies can fall in three categories only
1. When a superior is replying to a subordinate’s question, or a stranger asking questions of another will not think it necessary to qualify his answers.
2. A person who replies in monosyllables is considered to be dim witted, dull, apathetic or suicidal
3. A person who is honest and egoistic enough to believe that he need not qualify his answer as it is the truth.
So it is very obvious that most of us give long replies when asked troublesome or tricky questions as it has the advantage of politeness, tact,and partial correctness.
I wonder what consequences the police constable will now be facing from his superiors over his hasty reply.
1. When a superior is replying to a subordinate’s question, or a stranger asking questions of another will not think it necessary to qualify his answers.
2. A person who replies in monosyllables is considered to be dim witted, dull, apathetic or suicidal
3. A person who is honest and egoistic enough to believe that he need not qualify his answer as it is the truth.
So it is very obvious that most of us give long replies when asked troublesome or tricky questions as it has the advantage of politeness, tact,and partial correctness.
I wonder what consequences the police constable will now be facing from his superiors over his hasty reply.
