Don’t Ask!
In the course of human interaction, there are a few questions best left unasked. Some of
these are questions of a personal nature, like “Have you put on some weight?” or “How
much did you pay for that?” Wise inquirers have learned where these conversational
minefields are, and they make an effort to stay clear of them.
More specifically, in my work, I’ve learned that there are two big questions guaranteed to
offend mothers. They’re similar in structure—indeed, only one word distinguishes them.
But they create pain and humiliation in entirely different ways.
The first question is “Are you pregnant?” Many wellmeaning
askers of this inquiry have
wished only seconds later that they could stuff these words back into their mouths.
Following this question, the targeted young woman’s face turns red, and she stammers
with the response that no, she’s not pregnant. She may still be weari...
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