On his annual visits to town, my friend always invites me to meet him at his favorite ice cream shop that he touts for its generous sampling policy. Most people try one or two flavors before deciding, but my friend tries several. And he fails to read the room: The servers and customers behind us in line often become impatient with him, which he doesn’t notice. Should I say something to him? —FRIEND
Why meddle with your friend’s happiness? If the proprietors of the ice cream shop haven’t set a reasonable limit on the number of samples a customer may request, then they should get on it. But, until then, this strikes me as none of your concern.
—Adapted from “Social Q’s in The New York Times Magazine