Asking someone a question is giving them a chance to speak

The Cycle of Refusal and Explanation

When someone refuses our request, our immediate reaction is usually to explain why they should accept our proposal. If the other party doesn’t choose to concede, we often continue to explain or present more arguments. We try to force acceptance through our own explanation, and the other party is doing the exact same thing. This is like a conversation between two deaf people: “No, because…”, “Yes, because…”, “No, because…”, “Yes, because…”, endlessly.

The Simple Word That Changes the Dynamic

In fact, a single simple word can turn this dynamic around—“Why.” Although this word is simple, its power is boundless.