By skyforbes My husband is an insurance underwriter who works from home. In the past he's faced criticism for being condescending in his interactions with agents. Some of this criticism is valid and much is the product of agents not liking being told "No" by someone responsible for making decisions that shield our company from undue risk.
I happened to walk by and see an email he was starting. He was telling an agent that an exception would not be possible. It started something like:
Look, The protection class on this risk is poor…" (That's not the exact sentence but you get the idea.)
I said, "Oh, that's not a good way to start a sentence. It sounds condescending."
He was pretty irritated at me. He thinks it's a neutral introduction word and without it, it's rude because it's abrupt. He feels like he's criticized no matter how he phrases things. I worry that he can miss subtle social perceptions possible with the lack of tone that comes in written communication.
He doesn't have a problem with me expressing opinions about work btw. He just disagrees.
AIO to point this perspective out?