Just as agreeing to everything that comes your way can be a problem, declining everything can be a problem as well. in fact in this case, the difficulties are more profound. Since no one wants to take no for an answer, this can lead to several delicate situations.
It is for this reason that you have to be completely sure when you are rejecting something. You have to be absolutely certain that this is something you do not want to do or cannot do and that is the reason you are refusing it. There should be no ulterior motives.
However, there may be situations when you cannot justify your refusal to someone. This could lead you to a tight spot and you would definitely not want to be in a soup. But, it you are certain about your reason, then you can go ahead and take the step of refusing the thing that you do not want to do.
At the same time, remember that saying no without reason can have a lot of negative consequences for you. Least of all, you might miss out on a great opportunity. Every opportunity presents itself quite innocuously at first, and you have the choice to accept it or reject it. If you reject everything that comes your way, you may not be sure what you are saying no to. Also, this may become a habit. If you start saying no to everything habitually, then it can garner a negative impression for you. You have to be careful about such things. In this chapter, we shall see about the various pitfalls in saying no to someone.
Saying no is one of the hardest things to do for some of us. Most of us tend to say yes blindly to every little thing people ask us to do and this never ends up well. However, there are those that have mastered the art of saying no. Such people are those that are strong at heart and are not easily swayed by what other people think of them. They live their own private lives and do not appreciate people who try to poke their noses in their business. This lifestyle tends to have its own pros and cons. Here are some of its cons.
Saying no too much over a long period of time tends to grow in you as a habit and eventually leads to a mean mentality. This mentality will gradually grow in you since you it will not be a big deal to say no. Once this mentality fully grows in you, others will even stop asking for favors from you since they are sure you will just say know. In addition, this is risky! Remember, no man is an island. A time will come when you will need some kind help from others and at such a time, you will suffer alone. This is the same as dying a lonely death.
On top of this, you will miss a lot of opportunities that might help in the future. For example, once someone asks you to help him or her run her business for a day and you say no. This is a whole truck load of opportunities that you may have benefited from. To start with, you might have earned a couple of dollars by helping the individual. And even though you do not need the cash, there is still a lot that you would have learnt in that short time. Maybe, whatever you would have learnt might come in handy one time or the other. Therefore, think twice before you say no. You might be letting go of a gracious opportunity.
On the other hand, saying no frequently may lead to poor relations between you and those around you. This comes about because of the poor manner in which you relate and socialize with them. There is no way in earth that you can say no to everything someone asks you and you still end up friends. This is next to impossible. In short, saying no excessively might deny you most of your friends.
Generally, saying no exceptionally defies the essence of humanity. Humanity entails the manner in which people live together as one. Human beings should help each other out and care for the welfare of their neighbors. This way, some sort of cohesiveness can exist between human beings and as a result; peace will reign.
Therefore, when one goes against this and begins saying no to everyone’s wish, the essence of humanity is lost. Overall, I never said that you should never use the word no. Just use where necessary!