This ‘argument’ to make us obey we have all heard at some point. Chances are that we have used it ourselves to make someone else execute our request.
This kind of argument doesn’t give any insight in the reason behind an instruction. And so, it doesn’t result in the other person wanting to do what you ask. That’s where the problem lies.
When saying ‘Because I say so’ we are also saying something else. We are implying that we are not interested in the other person’s opinion – that we don’t care if they understand or not – that we’re not receptive to their reaction – that we’re not considering their take on the matter.
What we’re really saying is that we are not interested in the other person. It should surprise us that the usage of this argument results in substandard outcomes.
share