Nigerians are a very triggered set of people, they approach everything like it’s a beginning or continuation of a fight. Here are 6 polite questions that are actually polite but that Nigerians will read as rude and then proceed to take offense at:
1. When they send a WhatsApp message out of the blues and you ask “Who is this?”
“So you deleted my number from your phone?” “So you have forgotten about me?” “So you have removed me from your life abi?” “Is that how useless I am to you?”. All you asked was “Who is this?”
2. Or when they call and you ask “Who am I speaking with?”
They start with “So you don’t know my voice again?”.
3. When they call or send a message and you ask “How may I help you?”
I don’t know why, but this question sends Nigerians over the edge. They be like “So are you saying I’m disturbing you?”.
4. When you ask them what they do for a living.
Nigerians hate to be asked this. It appears that somehow somewhere, they were all gathered into a masterclass where they were taught that their jobs or source of income should remain private.
5. When they talk about news and you ask for their source.
They be like: “Are you saying I don’t know what I am saying?”.
6. When they give you gist and you ask them how they are sure what they are saying is true.
They will immediately acquire offense and go on a rant that basically translates to “I’m not sure but don’t question my integrity please, are you saying I am a liar?”.
Do you know of any other polite questions that people have taken offense at? Tell us in the comments.
And while you’re at it, you will enjoy reading this: What She Said: Why I Said No To His Public Proposal.
