Saying sorry for asking a question trains people to treat your questions like interruptions.
REFLECTION
WHAT THIS MEANS
Apologizing before a question tells people the question was an imposition. They will believe you, because you said it first, and over time your questions start arriving with that label already attached. The habit usually comes from politeness and ends up costing you standing.
Drop the preamble and ask the thing directly. Sorry to bother you becomes a simple hello, and just a quick question becomes the question. Try it once this week and notice that nobody minded, which is the evidence you needed.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Do you say sorry before asking a simple question?
MORE IN MINDSET & IDENTITY
- When you pass along someone’s secret, the only thing everyone actually learns is that you can’t hold one.
- You are made from material older than every story anyone has ever told about you.
- When you explain your decision for a whole paragraph, it starts to sound like an apology. Two sentences is plenty.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.