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- Jan 25, 2014
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I often ask questions like this. I have never understood why some people interpret them as directions and not questions. For example, if I ask someone "why are you putting the coffee pot over there?" they will respond with, "OK - I can put it somewhere else". I didn't ask them to put it somewhere else. I just want to understand why they chose to put it where they did. A request for information is exactly that. I am perfectly able to say, "Could you please move the coffee pot over here?" if that is what I mean.
It's because there are a great number of people who are incapable of being direct, and to them when they ask a question like this, it's also meaning "you shouldn't put it there". Some people assume this to be the case. Usually those people have authority problems in my experience (in the sense that they over-perceive where authority actually is, and respond poorly to all of it), or are very submissive/passive.
Then there are others (such as myself- and it's something I try to not do as often) will ask someone why they are putting it there, as to understand AND to point out it's not its proper place and likely worse if their answer is inadequet. Depending on their response, I'll either say "ok just wondering" or "uh you should put it back where it goes because x" (and if they don't I'll simply do it myself when they leave and take mental note of them).