Intercultural Weasel Advice

From Scott Adams's Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel (2002):
"Weasels are always eager to give unsolicited advice on topics as diverse as romance, work, and advanced satellite telemetry. But it's not because weasels like to help. It's because when you give advice, it makes you feel wise even if you have no idea what you're talking about."


An upstart intercultural consultant at one of the world's largest software companies recently told me that when we say to someone:

"You're lying!"

the judgment is too personalized because it interprets the action of the addressee. So, if we truly want to resolve conflict, it is a better practice to focus on our own actions, perhaps by saying:

"I think that you're lying."

I tried that with my wife, who's from a much different culture than mine, that same night. Wrong move!

After three nights sleeping on the couch, I learned a valuable lesson: Beware of intercultural weasel advice.