Questions to which there may be an unwelcome answer.

I suppose that's ok if everyone thinks in the same way dragonfly46 isn't it interesting how different countries have different attitudes.

I feel that if you need to ask,you already know the answer.

Anyone who posts the question of AIBU on the internet is bound to get some answers they don't like.
What they are doing is asking for affirmation that what they did or said was the right thing, moral, correct and reasonable and it might come as a shock if someone disagrees then others agree and say yes, they very unreasonable.

Some posters are more diplomatic than others, however, and some may voice opinions they would put more diplomatically in real life.

If anyone asks AIBU on an internet forum, they're taking their chances. Not for the faint-hearted.

Gransnet not for the faint hearted that’s for sure! ?

I worked with and was very friendly with a German colleague many years ago, we socialised outside the office so got on really well. However, some of the other girls in the office found her very blunt, knowing her as well as I did, I can honestly say she wasn't bitchy that directness was a facet of her personality and possibly in Europe they say what they mean. For example, one of the other girls in the office bought a dress and held it up asking opinions, no doubt expecting them to be favourable. German friend took everyone's breath away by saying "it's really horrible!" Like most, even if I don't like something, I'd say I do, particularly to acquaintances, because I don't want to hurt their feelings and really if they like what they've bought it doesn't matter what other people think anyway. Possibly we have more honesty with our nearest and dearest, without being quite so blunt about it.

If I see a new post and my first reaction is “Oh ffss “ I rather not comment at all than risk hurting someone’s feelings. ( most of the time anyway....)

If you post AIBU then you must expect answers both agreeing and disagreeing with you. Often the OP is having a rant and feels better by the end of the post or sometimes it is a more sensitive soul in need of help. Whichever there is really no excuse for rudeness and unkindness. Telling somebody there are stupid or pathetic is really not nice. Would the poster say such things face to face or are they hiding behind the anonymity which this site offers?
Imagine an agony aunt. They give advice which doesn’t always agree with the asker but is given in a helpful way.

I am probably one of those who tends to be blunt, but I always let the thread run for a while, with people being kind and gentle before I say things directly.

Personally I hate being pussy footed around. I would always prefer it if people were direct with me, without wrapping it in flannel.

I would never give advice on personal matters on GN. Why, because I don't know 'you' and I would never have all the facts or the background.
Opinions are another matter. I'm far more blunt in real life, why, because those friends who ask know I will tell them the truth without mean intent. And yes, I've used the words pathetic and stupid to very close friends.

For me it depends on the situation. If someone was thinking of buying a new dress that didn't suit them, or have their hair cut in a way that looked awful, and asked me what I thought, I would tell them before they spent their money. If they asked after they'd spent £££ on the dress, or after the hair had been cut and dyed, I would be more tactful.

If someone already felt bad about something she'd done, I would try not to make her feel worse, but if I really felt that whatever it was was dreadful and she was planning to do it again I would probably suggest that it was a bad idea.

I think there is often a fine line between 'blunt' and rude, however (and I'm not saying that you are on the wrong side of it, M0nica - it's just that my post happens to follow yours .

I have a friend who tells people that they 'look a lot better than last time I saw you', or that they 'look really tired', which is just unnecessary, IMO. Similarly, commenting on people's weight is unkind, unless you know that they are trying to lose or gain it.

Sometimes people have spent ages convincing themselves that they look ok (maybe after an illness or an upsetting event) and the last thing they need is to be told that they don't. IT can shatter confidence for no good reason.

Oops! Petra has got in whilst I was posting! Now it really does look like I was getting at M0nica .

MOnica
I meant to add I like your bluntness.

When I see the AIBU posts, I often think they are asking because they know deep down that is exactly what they are being.
Maybe, the AIBU should be dropped in favour of something like, ‘I need advice’ or ‘Am I reading this correctly?’ Or similar?

AGAA4

I suppose that is what we are hoping for but need to be prepared for honesty.

I suppose the brutally honest answer to the question ‘ Does this dress make my bum look big?’ is ‘No, your bum makes your bum look big.’ That’s the reality but I guess those of us asking the question are hoping for a miracle. ?