Comment by CrzyLngPwd

18 days ago

Labelling people this way is a blunt instrument.

It seems like the introvert/extrovert split, where few people are near the poles and there's a lot more going on in the middle.

E.g. I might check if someone has weekend plans before asking if I can stay with them. Or, I might ask outright, but specify it's not important, I just want to catch up, and the nearby hotel looks nice.

These seem like important differences even though they're both in the middle of ask and guess.

Yes, I don't support labelling people as one or the other, but defining and articulating the two kinds of behaviors and expectations relative to each other is incredibly useful for communication and understanding.

  • If these behavioral models are indeed good and close enough to the reality. But that whole stuff comes from some internet comment!

    I agree it's better to label behaviors or situations than people.

But it is useful if you apply that labeling to yourself. It also helps with empathy.

  • Labelling can be a shortcut around empathy. Empathy is the real deal.

    • It’s hard to imagine what a guesser is feeling if you don’t understand the differences between their expectations and yours as an asker, and vice versa.

      7 replies →

Indeed. There is likely more of a spectrum. That said, I think applying the label to a given scenario, or a person's tendencies can be useful.

I agree, but the fundamental problem is a blunt one to begin with. It should not be a way to label people, but decisions.

Guess culture is playing defense against the outcrowd. Ask culture is playing offense to achieve higher-level thinking and goals.

This isn't always a deliberate thing. Still, everyone has to pick their plays with every interaction they have.