Maybe if you ask 67 times you’ll turn that no into a yes. Maybe reword it or ask for the same thing from a different angle. Maybe keep pushing and ask at a different time of day.
Or maybe listen to the answer the first time, change the situation by doing your part to change the facts, and then revisit it.
I’m all for persistence and tenacity, I think it’s amazing. But when our one track, horse to a barn agenda wares out someone you love to the point where you either 1. Finally get what you want with no regard for what they want or 2. They stop caring all together, that’s not preserving the relationship.
Survival mode is real. When people are in it, they’re caring for themselves because that’s the number one step to being able to care for others – being healthy and having that extra effort to donate.
So when you hear someone say “I can’t”, ask why if you like, realize there’s a factor outside of your own agenda, and believe them.
Deeper Than a Puddle 