I appreciate wanting to make sure everyone has all the relevant background info needed for a discussion, but it's so easy to come off as intimidating or rude in that context
Show this thread
What are some good ways to ask if someone is familiar with a subject without accidentally sounding condescending?
-
-
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
You could preface saying that you yourself don’t know all there is about x but was hoping to learn more and wanted to see if they are familiar with i.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Have you checked out X by the way?
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
LOVE this question! For me, step 1 is being clear w myself how much familiarity is "familiar enough" for constructive engagement -- what is my actual goal? Also recognizing that subjects/terms are broad and meaning varies by context, so it's kind to check in from that standpoint
-
In practice that might look like: "I'm thinking [not-universally-known Thing X] as it relates to [our shared goal/problem]. Thing X could be relevant here because [one-sentence overview connecting to shared goal/problem and their role with it]...
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
-
“I don’t want to tell you something you already know — how familiar are you with x?”
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Assume that they are familiar. Make it a statement? “You are familiar with X, right?” The tone of voice is important.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
I think you could go with 'what are your thoughts on x?' which leaves the question open for them to say whether or not they're familiar with the subject and it sounds like you're interested in what they have to say.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
I would ask what sort of background people have in X.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Pose "what" and "how" questions to the other person to gauge their true understanding of the topic.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.