Public preview
Negative Inquiry
When criticized, ask: "what specifically in X bothers you?" — forces clarity.
Goal
Turn vague criticism to specific feedback.
Steps
-
1
Hear criticism fully.
Expected Outcome
Immediate
Vague criticism vanishes.
Evidence base
School: Assertiveness
Founders: Manuel Smith (1975)
Smith.
Keywords
#negative-inquiry#smith#استفهام#نقد#تحديد#social#assertive#وضوح#specificity#feedback#استيضاح النقد#تحويل الغموض لوضوح#clarifying-question#vague-criticism#constructive-feedback#probing-question#assertive-rights#forcing-clarity#feedback-quality#criticism-handling#الاستفهام السلبي#إجبار الوضوح#clarity-forcing-question#vague-criticism-challenge#specific-feedback-request
Frequently asked questions
How long does "Negative Inquiry" take?
This exercise takes about 10 minutes, practiced with another person in a Inner dialogue format.
When will I notice the effect of "Negative Inquiry"?
Vague criticism vanishes. In the short term: Useful feedback.
Is "Negative Inquiry" evidence-based?
Yes — it draws on Assertiveness (Manuel Smith (1975)). Smith.
Is "Negative Inquiry" suitable for beginners?
Its difficulty level is: Advanced. No external tools required — it can be practiced directly inside the app.
Subscribe for full access
Subscribe to Plus for full access to this practice and the whole catalogue, or try first — free, no sign-in, no commitment.
7 complete practices (one per domain) are free forever, no sign-in.