What's the Problem with 'No Problem'?
Our communication styles have so much evolved with time, that we have created thousands of metaphors, figures of speech and analogies, and so to speak, today’s topic is how to answer to someone replying to you “thank you” for a kind gesture, a gift, or a favor…
Maybe some of you would right away think of: “Anytime!”, “You are the most very welcome!”, “My sincere pleasure”, “I’m very glad to help!”; but some others would think of the following instead: “It’s nothing”, “No problem”, “Don't mention it”, “Forget it”, “No worries”, …etc.
So, let’s just take a few seconds, to genuinely think about the reasons behind of all these answers, that at a first glance may convey the same message, but the snagging question at a deep psychological level is: “do they encapsulate other meanings/feelings than even the interlocutor himself/herself is not aware of?”
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Some people feel the “No problem” answer as a true mental aggression to them, while others they see it as just a regular and a quite normal answer like any other one. So, why such difference of perception? Is it a question of age? Of culture? Or environment?
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If “No problem” is equal to “You are welcome”, then my question to you is:
Imagine your dearest one, with a big surprise, offering you the gift of your dreams!
You are so glad that you expressed to her/him your gratitude with a very warm “Thank you!!”. And then, his/her reply to you was: “No problem”.
How would you perceive the “No problem” answer?
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Please feel free to comment and interact with today’s topic.
Warmest Regards
Salah Hazourli