3 ms·

I go with "my first impulse is to suggest..." which IMO adds the diplomatic nuance of admitting an incomplete understanding of the problem and/or the person exp

I go with "my first impulse is to suggest..." which IMO adds the diplomatic nuance of admitting an incomplete understanding of the problem and/or the person experiencing the problem. Same here, with a slight variation. I usually say "my first thought is to try ..." or "the first thing that comes to mind for me is ..." Depending on the situation I might also use the old "Have you tried ..." phrasing.

hamburglar 4y ago
I also like “could you try…” as a way of acknowledging that it’s a suggestion that may be unworkable for reasons I don’t know, and that I’m willing to hear that.
- thecrumb 4y ago
  "could we try"
  - woopwoop24 4y ago
    not always a we
    - fknorangesite 4y ago
      It doesn't have to be literal.