Can't say?

If you subscribe to any English(i'm not too aware what system the regional-language-ones follow) newspaper, on perhaps the front page, you will come across a poll question and what the respondents of the previous day's poll had to say. And the system is simple enough. Close-ended questions. No scope for any prolixity. "Yes" or "No". What piques me is the "cant' say" part.

Now frankly that "Can't say" really baffles me. I mean since it is a voluntary involvement for the people who respond to the poll. Its not compulsory to register your views. Imagine, during elections, you walk into the booth, see the names and parties of the candidates and you say,"well I'm not so sure". "Can't say". Its not as though you go to their site, check the poll page to see what question they're asking and then get trapped. "Answer bitches, or you're stuck here forever". No, its really much simpler and much more within the humanitarian rights. See the question, you agree or disagree with the point of view they present, and leave. Why should people feel the need to stay on the page, ponder long and hard upon the question, scratch their brains, and then come to the inscrutable position where they haven't a honest opinion and since they are trapped on the page until they can provide an honest opinion, what will come to the poor damsels' rescue? The "can't say" option. Do you really think that such a dire situation is possible?


The problem is, to around 3-10% respondents actually DO get stuck at this unfortunate juncture. Only the trap isn't technological. Its purely psychological. Let me explain.


You'll see it in most Indians. Most commonly in women. Indians, as a community, can't help but put their two cents in every time. We have this compulsive need to keep giving people advice, because we know that what will say will only alter their lives, and for the better. "listen to me baby..", "I know.. I'll tell you..", "Take my advice...". We have to. We just have to. And this is where the "can't say" option comes to our rescue. We have to say SOMETHING! But we don't agree, nor do we disagree! Heck! We don't even know what the hell the question means! But we gotta say something! How can the world go without knowing what we think about this question? How will the world come to realise that not only are we ignoramus nuts, but we also need to display this ignorance unabashedly?

"Can't Say"