How to Answer Personal Questions

Unless your life's an open book, personal questions can be off-putting. You might be enjoying yourself at a party, and then all of the sudden you're like a deer in headlights when a nosy neighbor asks you what your salary is. The good news is you don't have to answer those invasive inquiries. Yet shrugging off personal questions requires some social savvy.

Instructions

1. Take a deep breath and think before answering a personal question. Many people blab out their response without thinking--and then later regret that they've shared information they rather would have kept to themselves. Decide whether you really want your neighbor to know when you and your husband last made love--or whether this fact is between you and your spouse.

2. Smile widely and say with a laugh, "Wow, that's a personal question!" This will give the offender the opportunity to apologize and withdraw the question. If instead he presses you for more information, you can again smile and repeat, "As I said, wow, that's a personal question!"

3. Change the subject. This is the easiest way to avoid an embarrassment that you and the offending inquisitor might suffer.

4. Answer a portion of the question if you don't want to ignore it altogether. You can answer salary or net worth questions with, "I'm very comfortable" or "I wouldn't mind a raise" rather than a specific number. Use the same strategy to address weight questions: "A few dozen away from my high school weight" or "I'm liking the scale these days."

5. Consider whether you're being hypersensitive. While some personal questions are insensitive, others are merely curious. The intent of the question is important. A friend who asks you what size shoe you wear might want to lend you a pair she thinks would look great with your outfit--not gasp at how big your enormous feet are.