What Do You Think?
A simple question. A guaranteed disaster.
Your Opinion (and Why It Doesn’t Matter)
Asking for my opinion and then getting mad about it is like lighting a match and being surprised there’s fire.
If you can’t handle the heat, maybe step away from the stove.
Let’s put this right up front:
Nobody gives a damn what your opinion is. Not really.
And yet, here we are, choking on a smog cloud of unsolicited proclamations, Yelp reviews nobody asked for, and social media hot takes from people who can’t change a tire but somehow know how to fix the country.
The Opinion Trap
Here’s the deal:
Someone asks for your opinion.
You give it.
They cry.
Them: “No, really, I want your honest opinion.”
Me: “Alright, here it is…”
Them: “RUDE.”
Folks, don’t invite me to a demolition derby and then act shocked when I bring a monster truck.
I don’t ask for opinions unless I:
• Respect you,
• Trust you,
• And I’m fully prepared for you to hurt my feelings in a helpful way.
Most people don’t want honesty. They want validation with a ribbon on it.
They want you to say: “Yes, Wanda, your new hair color does scream executive and not ‘gas leak victim.’”
Advice vs. Opinion vs. Emotional Backup Dancer
Let’s clear something up:
• Advice is something you ask for when you’re ready to change.
• An opinion is something you ask for when you want applause.
• Feedback is what you beg for until you get it—then wish you hadn’t.
Real Estate Agents: The Feedback Whipping Post
So—I usually don’t ask. Not unless the client demands it.
Why? Because I already know the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly.
In the real estate world, feedback is treated like gold until you realize it’s just sugar-coating, condescension, or complete bullsh*t because they don’t even remember which house you’re asking about.
I know what I’m selling. I know where the gold is, where the ghosts live, and where the previous owners got lazy and hoped no one would notice their misguided DIY. (I’m lookin’ at you, kitchen reno from hell.)
But when a client insists, I do ask for feedback. And what do I get?
Behold: The Holy Trinity of Pointless Feedback
• The Blackhole: Says nothing. Ghosted harder than a bad Tinder date.
• Captain Obvious: “Client said the house wasn’t the right fit.” Oh, really?
• The Serial Critic: “Client said the décor was ugly, the place smelled like cat pee, and it wouldn’t kill anyone to clean it once a year.”
I forward it anyway, because I’m honest and legally bound to keep you informed—even when that information comes with the emotional weight of a DMV line on a Monday afternoon.
And what does my sweet, lovable seller do?
They lose their damn minds.
Translating Feedback: A Handy Guide
What They Say
What They Mean
“Not the right fit.”
Hated it the second they pulled in the driveway.
“Client was looking for something different.”
Client was looking for anything else.
“Unique layout.”
Like sex in a canoe: awkward from every angle.
“Needs TLC.”
Needs a priest and a bulldozer.
The Types of Opinion Givers
You’ve met these folks. Hell, you might be one:
• The Narcissist – Wants honesty, as long as it’s exactly what they were already thinking.
• The Diplomat – Says “interesting” a lot. Hates everything.
• The One-Upper – You said blue; they say, “Umm, no — that’s teal. Obviously.”
• The Expert – Took one seminar in 2009. Now corrects architects.
Here’s My Unsolicited Recommendation
Don’t ask for opinions unless you’re good at dodgeball.
Don’t ask for advice unless you’re willing to do something in addition to what you’ve already done.
And for the love of hardwood floors and full-price offers, don’t ask for feedback unless you’re mentally prepared to find out that what you consider your “cozy” keeping room, your potential buyer calls a glorified broom closet.
Final Word (and It’s a Doozy)
Opinions are like you-know-what’s:
Everybody has one.
Most of them stink.
And even though you should never air them in public, too many folks are out here swinging theirs around like it deserves a round of applause.
So next time someone asks you, “What do you think?” just smile, nod, and remember:
Most people aren’t asking because they want the truth… they just want you to pat their ego and baby them.
And me?
I’m fresh out of baby wipes.
The Condition — Where honesty lives, and polite fiction goes to die.
If you want more stories like this — equal parts truth and trouble — subscribe and pass it on to that one friend who always asks, ‘What do you think?’
Hilarious but so true!!
So true