Sunday 9 September 2012

don't ask the question...

... if you're not prepared to hear the answer.

Ever notice that about peeps?  They do it all the time, you know.  They ask questions but never really want to hear an answer. 

Sometimes, the questions are mindless.  You know...  like...  "How are you?"  Most of the time, they don't actually care how you are.  Quite honestly, I don't know why they even stick around for an answer to be given.  They might as well just walk away right then and there.  That way, they wouldn't look so stupid when the person answers that they're not well or something and they reply, "Oh, that's nice."  I guess they just stick around for appearances' sake but I'm telling you, when they answer without having listened, they appear pretty stupid.

And speaking of appearances...  have you ever watched Keeping up Appearances?  I sometimes watch it with my peeps.  It's all re-runs now but it's still pretty funny.  The main character, Hyacinth, never really listens when people speak.  Sorry...  she listens when she speaks but never when the talking is being done by someone else.

Anywho...  you're probably all thinking this post is about my peep's recent run-in with the cat who came back's teeth.  You're probably thinking people were asking 'bout her hand and not listening to her answer.  It's a pretty logical assumption, I think but...  well...  it would be a false one.  Actually, I'm talking something else peeps tend to do.  I'm talking about when peeps pick and choose answers, waiting for the one they want to hear and ignore all the rest.  Have you ever encountered this phenomenon?  I have and so has my peep.

I have come to the conclusion that peeps want to hear what they want to hear.  They have an uncanny ability to ignore all else.  They'll ask a question and want to hear answer F but they get answer A so they ignore it.  Then they ask the same question of someone else and get answer B.  They ignore that, too.  Then they find some other poor sucker to ask and get answer C.  You guessed it.  That's ignored, as well.  This continues until they find some like-minded peep who gives them answer F and since that was what they were waiting for all along...  that's the answer they believe.  All those other answers?  Gone with the wind, my friends...  gone with the wind.

It's kind of like listening to weather forecasts.  If you listen to all the forecasts on all the different television stations, the radio and the newspaper, you'll probably hear a whole whack of different forecasts.  Now, all you peeps out there, the reasonable thing to do would be to listen to the most reliable source and go with that.  But what do peeps do?  They listen to the forecast they like and ignore all else.  When I, Nerissa the cat, wash behind my ears...  it's gonna rain.  You can count on it.  I'm the most reliable weather forecaster around my house.  And what happens if you don't listen to me when I forecast the rain?  Well, your laundry out on the line is probably gonna get soaked.  Just ask my peep!

Now, I'm not suggesting that peeps should always believe everything they hear.  There are a lot of stupid answers out there for some very good questions, I think.  Peeps should always question the answers, asking themselves if it makes sense or not.  Just like Judge Judy says in her courtroom...  "If it doesn't make sense...  it's not true."  There's a lot of truth to that, I think.  I'm thinking that Judge Judy is a pretty smart lady although if she were really super-duper smart, she'd live with cats and although I may be wrong about this, I think she's more of a doggy person.  Anywho...  you get my drift, right?

So yes, all you peeps out there...  you can and should question the answers but it's not a very smart thing to pick and choose which answers you will believe simply because those are the ones you want to believe.  After all, if you already knew the answer...  why the mouses did you ask the question in the first place?  Yes, answer me that!

23 comments:

  1. You are so correct. Most peeps do not answer or just ignore the question and why do they ask us kitties all those silly questions. You are quite right. Hope you have a great day.

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  2. I wonder this a lot too, Nerissa. My brother calls and asks for advice all the time and never follows it. I wonder why he ever asks my opinion in the first place.

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  3. you're so right that is true about most peeps iritates the hell out of me and I'm a peep,xx Speedy's Mum

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  4. We stare at TBT intently when he talks to us. Cuz it might eventually be something it is important for us to answer. But thats not often...

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  5. Humans, who can figure them out?

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  6. We think if it has to do with peeps it's Not Important, unless it's about food, scooping, or pets.

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  7. Nerissa your train of thought never ceases to amaze me. Are you a Libra? Please say yes so I don't have to pick the answer that I want. That being said, I couldn't agree with you more. My other "favorite" thing is people who call you needing your advice with a crisis, you offer advice...they leave and you never get a call back telling you what the outcome was!

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    1. No... I was born on April 15th. I don't know what that makes me. Aries? I don't know. But guess what? Peep #1 is a Libra! That's right! Just like you, Caren. Her birthday is later this month. Ooohhhh... I had better send peep #2 shopping for a prezzie from us cats, huh? Do you think she'd like some nip?

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  8. Replies
    1. Much, much better. Thank you. Almost (but not quite) as good as new.

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  9. You are so wise pal and so right. I'll never understand the ooman race! Nope! Never!

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  10. You really are an expert on human psychology. Humans spend lots of time doing and saying utterly useless things - time they could be spending paying attention to the needs of cats.

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  11. The Human used to know a little poem that she can't a-member very good but it wented sumfing like this:

    "When someone asks "How are you?"
    Don't speak of your digestion;
    You see, my son, "How are you?"
    Is a greeting not a question.

    Ha ha meow! Peeps is so messed up! I nefur ask another kitteh a kwestion unless I really wants an answer. And den I listens to it! And if I already know the answer I wants, I don't ask the question! I mean, how simple is that??!

    Regarding weather forecasts? My Human nefur looks at dem at all since her guess is usually as good as theirs. Maybe you could publish on your bloggy when you washes behind your ears, so we'd all know?

    I *do* hope your Mommy's hand is better.

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    1. I have got to tell you the funniest story 'bout the weather. It has been pouring here pretty much all day. There was a short break, sometime this morning. I was sitting working on my blog when I saw the man from down the street biking past, going eastward at a leisurely pace. Then the Heavens opened up and I saw this same man heading westward as fast as his legs could peddle. And do you know what the best part is? He's a weatherman! hehehe...

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  12. Very true, Nerissa! Also if the humans would listen when we ask for treats...

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  13. Y'know what, Nerissa? When the peeps talk to us, we just tune them out. All we hear is blah blah blah.

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  14. Our Mum asks us so many questions we think we are on the cat's version of "Mastermind".
    Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

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  15. Hoomins are really strange creatures. We just have to do our best to communicate with them as they are. It is a tough job though.

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  16. Speaking of questions...The Human always tells her stoodints that there is no such thing as a dumb questions, but secretly? She thinks that there is. Heh heh.

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  17. hmmmm...furry interesting Nissy...I heard that in some cultures, the question How are you is real! THe person asking really want to know, probably not in detail...but to just say "ok"...doesn't answer that person's question. As for cats, we always answer each others questions...either with a lick, a whack or a smackdown...we always understand what each other means...peeps..sheeesh...Savannah

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  18. Oh Cod! I guess my long comment wasn't published, so sorry...

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  19. you are furry wise--peeps DO only hear what they want (or what they 'spect) to hear!! this is ok in most cases, if they are the kind of peeps who are "in tune" wif nachur (part of which, is us kittehs;-) but the ofur ones? not so much.

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  20. MOL - serioslies?
    We can just see it now:
    "How are you?"
    "oh AWFUL."
    "That's nice."

    humans. sooooo weird.

    Um, canz you come over here and wash behind yer ears pleez? We need RAIN!

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I love hearin' from my pals. I really, REALLY do. PURRS.