How to Avoid Nosy Questions
People tend to be naturally curious about their surroundings and can often ask questions that may be nosier than they realize. Work, personal relationships, money and politics can be private areas where people do not feel comfortable sharing even basic details with others. If you would like to avoid nosy questions, you have to be careful both about how you share information with others, as well as the way in which you answer their questions.
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Instructions
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Think about the information you share with people around you. One way to avoid nosy questions is to be prepared for what other people might ask. They are more likely to ask more questions when you leave unknowns in your story or statements. Construct answers to others' questions in advance to avoid slipping up and sharing too much.
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Decide how much information you want others to know about your personal or work life. The distinction of what you share should change depending on who you are talking to. For example, you might not want your work colleagues knowing about your relationship dynamics or your religious beliefs, while personal friends might be privy to this information without hesitation.
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Determine if the nosy person has your best interest in mind, and decide what to share from there. Some people are nosy because they care about you and know there is something going on that they need you to talk about. However, others only want to pry private information from you for some other reason, often in order to feed gossip circles or sate their own curiosity. Nosy people seek out information that is not intended to be shared with a wide audience, and often do not feel remorse for pressuring you into sharing it.
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Deflect your answer to nosy questions by posing another question or answering in a vague way that does not leave you open for more follow-up questions. For example, if someone asks you who you are voting for in an election, rather than answering, start a conversation about a popular issue or ask about the latest debate.
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Refuse to answer nosy questions you are not comfortable answering. When another person poses a question with the intent of finding out more information about you than you care to share, politely say that you would not like to discuss the matter at that time. If the person is a close friend, give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is trying to help you with a problem or situation.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't hesitate to tell a nosy person that you simply aren't comfortable answering their question. Particularly if the person does not realize that he is crossing social lines, your honesty may help keep him in line in the future.
It is generally best to avoid getting defensive or upset at nosy questions. If you can, simply deflect the conversation. Aggression and excessive secrecy often does little more than fuel the asker's interest in getting access to your information.
References
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