The person who annoyed you may understand a request better than a character judgment.

GRATITUDE

WHAT THIS MEANS

Irritation tends to come out as a description of the person. You say they are thoughtless or always late, when what you actually want is for them to text before dropping in or to arrive at seven. The judgment invites a defence of their whole character, while the request invites a change in one behaviour.

Translate your annoyance into a single sentence about what you would like to happen. Say it once, plainly, without the accumulated history attached. Most people will meet a clear request more readily than you expect, particularly when they are not being asked to agree that they are a bad person.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Could your irritation become a plain request instead of a verdict?

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