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1500 questions
20
votes
2 answers
How can I encourage discussion of sensitive topics with my girlfriend?
Background
I have been dating my girlfriend for about three months. We are both in our mid 20s, grew up in the mid-western United States, and now live in New York City. She has defined boundaries for physical intimacy (i.e. waiting until marriage to…
Rainbacon
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20
votes
4 answers
How to handle people who don't get along on Stack Exchange?
Active users of Stack Exchange tend to frequent multiple sites and chat rooms, so it means we will tend to bump into the same people in different places. People don't always click, and will disagree on with one another on some things, that's…
user57
20
votes
10 answers
How can I avoid the awkward side step shuffle?
When travelling down a hallway with few people going different ways, I sometimes come across someone who travels down the same side of the hall in a different direction from me. When I go to move around them, they do too, creating a dance to get…
Anoplexian
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20
votes
5 answers
How to convey who will be asked to join my wife and me in the delivery room without causing offense?
My wife and I have just started trying to expand our family. Last night, the topic randomly came up of who should be in the delivery room with us (if we are lucky enough to conceive) as my wife asked me:
Should we be alone with the medical staff…
Zero
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20
votes
6 answers
Approach a coworker-friend about being nicer to his friends
TLDR: My coworker makes unkind jokes about someone else to build rapport or support friendship with me. This makes me uncomfortable because it is outright mean and has noticeably hurt the teased party more than once.
Background:
I have a coworker…
anon
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19
votes
10 answers
How to ask someone to stop wasting water without sounding rude or hurting their feelings?
A few days ago, when I was in office washroom, I saw my colleague leave the tap opened while applying hand-wash. I asked him to never waste water like this again and quickly closed the tap. After that, he said that there is no water problem here. In…
A J
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19
votes
7 answers
Managing a bad temper in close relationships
I've always had a short fuse. I've been quick to rise and lose my temper, but on the flip side I'm quick to get over it when others lose their cool. The problem is that others usually are not, especially if they are on the receiving end of it.…
user57
19
votes
4 answers
Does the "never wear white to a wedding" rule of etiquette only apply to weddings attended in the United States?
As far as I have ever been aware, it has always been a rule of etiquette for a female guest to NEVER wear white when attending a wedding in the United States. It has always been my understanding that the bride should be the only female dressed in…
steelersquirrel
- 298
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19
votes
2 answers
How should I tell someone that I've changed my mind about doing a favour?
TL;DR
I've changed my mind about doing a favour to a mate, it is not I don't want to do it, it is that something came up so it would put me out to live up to what I originally promised.
More detail
Some months ago, the schedule for a series of sport…
Carlos3dx
- 343
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19
votes
3 answers
How to politely reject inviting a friend to my family's Thanksgiving dinner?
So my friend called me and asked me what I was doing later for Thanksgiving. I replied that I would go with my family to dinner at an uncle's house. Near the end of the call, he asked me if I would invite him to the dinner. I replied yes out of no…
Hi-Lighter
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19
votes
3 answers
How to ask someone to follow security protocol without sounding rude or commanding?
Situation
My workplace uses key fobs to enter our building in all 4 locations except the entrance that opens up to the front desk. These locations are distributed fairly evenly on each side of the building. Recently, security is investing effort…
Jess K.
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19
votes
1 answer
Lift etiquette - Should I talk to people who get in our lift?
We have lifts in our apartment block. Our lift goes to approximately 13 apartments, which is not a huge number. Some people I recognise, as they've owned their places since it was built (like me), but some of the apartments are rented out and the…
user57
19
votes
8 answers
How to convey "special needs" in a positive way for a job interview?
I'm job hunting again because, in my current job, things went horribly.
People were not being aware of my Aspergers or of its impact and so I was on a team that simply was unhealthy for me.
I'm looking for a company that is able to get along with me…
dhein
- 2,542
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19
votes
2 answers
How do you show concern or kindness to a stranger without being intrusive?
I was on the train and a young woman, who was a stranger to me, was sitting in the seat across the aisle from me. She was clearly in distress, and periodically would begin to cry. In such a case how should care or concern (kindness) be shown…
r m
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19
votes
3 answers
Does talking about mildly taboo topics with people normalize the subject for them?
There are a lot of topics in daily life that many people avoid mentioning outright because they're slightly "icky" or it's considered "private" or somehow mildly taboo. One of these things I've run into recently (over the past year or so) is…
Catija
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