I want to know how other cultures handle this, because in Japan we have a whole system for it. We have two words: honne, your true feelings, and tatemae, the face you show the world. So when a Japanese person says “that might be a little difficult,” they very often mean a flat no. Everyone understands the code. Nobody says no directly. To us, this is politeness. It protects the other person from embarrassment. I have heard that in some cultures, saying exactly what you mean is the polite thing, and dancing around it feels fake. So tell me honestly: in your country, how do you say no? Straight out, or wrapped in something softer?