Being Told vs. Telling

The concept behind being told vs. telling is interesting. There are those that when trying to get their point across will directly tell you their point of view. This can often be abrasive in nature and I've found that some just blow off what they are being told and are unwilling to engage and review the supporting ideas. Now on the flip side there are those that manipulate the conversation in such a way that they are able to make the point they are trying to make by being told by the other person. In the movies or books this is often the stodgy old college professor.

The reason this is important is because when someone makes your point for you they end up owning the statement / idea weather they wanted it or not. Now this doesn't mean that they necessarily agree but it does mean that they will at least think about the topic and hopefully form some decent opinions about it.

An interesting question then arises. Have you ever blown someone off when they told you something? Perhaps extra thought on that topic is in order because they may not have had the personal tools to illicit the ownership transfer.