DEAR MISS MANNERS: What are some polite, humble alternatives to “I may be wrong, but …”? I find myself increasingly defaulting to this phrase when, as far as I can tell, I’m not wrong. Usually the context is that something looked off to me, so I went and double-checked and found that, yes, it was off, and the issue then needed a follow-up. What are some good alternatives I can use that don’t point the finger at me, especially for a work context?
GENTLE READER: “I believe …,” “I could double-check, but …,” or “Unless I’m missing something …”
While pointing a finger at others can be tempting, turning it toward oneself is more gracious. Particularly, Miss Manners might add, in the perhaps unlikely event that you are actually wrong.
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