" To know when to say It's None of your Business" by Mark McCormack

                     " To know when to say It's None of your Business" by Mark McCormack

Introduction

Mark McCormack wrote about an important skill that everyone needs to learn. This skill is knowing when to tell someone that a question is "none of your business." This means understanding when it is okay to keep information private. Learning this skill helps us protect ourselves and stay professional, especially at work.

Two Scenarios: When to Say "It's None of Your Business"

Mark McCormack explained that there are specific times when we should protect our privacy. Here are two important scenarios:

Scenario 1: Questions About Money

Money is a very personal topic. In most professional settings, it is not appropriate to ask someone how much money they make. This includes questions like:

  • "What is your salary?"
  • "How much did you pay for that car?"
  • "How much money do you have in the bank?"

These questions are too personal. When someone asks about your money, it is okay to politely say it is none of their business.

Scenario 2: Questions About Personal Life

Your personal life includes your family, relationships, health, and private activities. While some personal sharing is normal between friends, not everyone has the right to know everything about you. Examples of overly personal questions include:

  • "Why don't you have children?"
  • "Are you having problems in your marriage?"
  • "What medical condition do you have?"

These questions are inappropriate, especially in a work setting.

These questions are inappropriate, especially in a work setting.

Real-Life Examples by Mark McCormack

Mark McCormack shared three real stories to help us understand this topic better. These examples show what happens when people do not respect boundaries.

Example 1: The Executive Who Invaded Everyone's Privacy

There was an executive officer in a company. This executive had a bad habit. He would sneak into everyone's personal life and ask very private questions. He did this to everyone, no matter what their job position was.

The problem was that no one felt brave enough to stop him. Because he was an executive (a boss), people were afraid. They did not say "it's none of your business" even though they should have.

Example 2: The Writer Who Asked About the Illustrator's Salary

An illustrated book was going to be published. The writer of the book became very curious. He wanted to know how much money the illustrator was being paid for drawing the pictures.

The writer called the publishing house and asked them about the illustrator's salary. This was a big mistake. The publishing house refused to tell him because salary information is private. The writer felt very embarrassed because he realized he had asked an inappropriate question.

Example 3: The CEO's Rude Comment About the Young Man's Girlfriend

There was a meeting at a company. A young man attended the meeting, but he did not know what the meeting was about.

Instead of simply explaining the meeting's purpose, the CEO made a rude and personal comment. The CEO said the young man should spend more time in the office instead of with his girlfriend.

Conclusion

Mark McCormack taught us an important lesson about privacy and boundaries. Knowing when to say "it's none of your business" is a valuable skill. We must understand the difference between innocent curiosity and outright rudeness. We should protect our privacy in two main areas: money and personal life.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Village Schoolmaster" by Oliver Goldsmith

Image
                                                    The Village Schoolmaster by Oliver Goldsmith Introduction:             Oliver Goldsmith was an English poet, playwright, and novelist. His well-known works are The Vicar of the Wakefield , ‘The Deserted Village’, and She Stoops to Conquer . In the poem, “The Village Schoolmaster”, Oliver Goldsmith talks of a school that is situated by a rambling fence with a yellow flowering shrub called furze. About the Poem: “There, in his mansion, skill’d to rule”             The poem portrays an imaginary village school master. The village is empty and deserted as the people have emigrated for a better living. The main cause of the emigration is the enclosure movement also calle...
Read more

“The Gift of Magi” by O.Henry

Image
                                                     “The Gift of Magi” by O.Henry Introduction to O. Henry O. Henry was a famous short story writer from the United States.  He is known for writing stories with twists at the end . His stories often show the lives of ordinary people and teach lessons about love, kindness, and life. One of his best-known stories is The Gift of the Magi . Introduction to the Story (Theme and Characters) “The Gift of the Magi” is a short story about a poor couple , Jim and Della , who love each other very much. The story’s main theme is love and sacrifice . Even though they have very little money, they want to give special Christmas gifts to each other. Della has long, beautiful hair. Jim has a gold watch, which is his only treasure. The story shows how they give up what they love the most ...
Read more

The Conjuror's Revenge by Stephen Leacock

Image
                                         The Conjuror's Revenge by Stephen Leacock About Stephen Leacock Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) was a renowned Canadian writer who excelled at making people laugh. He wrote funny stories that also made fun of how people act in society. His writing was simple but clever - he could make everyday situations seem funny by pointing out how silly people can be. What the Story is About "The Conjuror's Revenge" is about a magician. During his magic show, there's one person in the audience called the "Quick Man" who keeps ruining everything by shouting out how all the tricks are done. The story illustrates how one annoying person can spoil an entire event for everyone else. It's also about how the magician gets angrier and angrier as his show falls apart. The Magic Tricks “ He had it up his sleeve” 1. The Golden Fish Trick The magici...
Read more