Are reassuring comments condescending? @NotOverthinking
Are reassuring comments condescending?  @NotOverthinking
Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
How we interpret reassuring comments is strongly influenced by the ambiguity around the terms pity and sympathy. But are comments offering reassurance meaningful or patronising?

This clip was taken from Episode 96 - Pity vs Sympathy.

šŸŽ™ About the Podcast - Not Overthinking
Not OverthinkingĀ is a podcast about happiness, creativity, and the human condition. We talk about things to help us think, do, and be better. Things like social interaction, lifestyle design, mental models...things that are hard to examine, but important to explore. And hopefully, things that make for a fun and interesting chat every week.

FollowĀ Not OverthinkingĀ on Twitter:Ā twitter.com/noverthinking
Check out our website for show notes: notoverthinking.com
Follow us on Instagram for bite-sized podcast clips: instagram.com/notoverthinkingpod

šŸŽ§ Listen for free on your favourite Podcast platform - search "Not Overthinking" on your podcast app, or click these links
Apple Podcasts - podcasts.apple.com/pk/podcast/not-overthinking/id1456538451
Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/1Zo2yYgEYWRRpF2jTcNP5R
Google Podcasts - podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3MuYXJ0MTkuY29tL25vdC1vdmVydGhpbmtpbmc

šŸ‘¬ Who are we?
Ali Abdaal is a junior doctor and YouTuber working in Cambridge, UK. He makes videos about medicine, technology, productivity and lifestyle design.

Ali's YouTube Channel - youtube.com/aliabdaal
Ali's Twitter - twitter.com/aliabdaal
Ali's Instagram - instagram.com/aliabdaal
Ali's Blog - aliabdaal.com

Taimur Abdaal is a data scientist and writer, working on his own startupĀ Causal (https://causal.app/). He writes on his blog and as a columnist for Medium.

Taimur's Twitter - twitter.com/taimurabdaal
Taimur's Instagram - instagram.com/refrigerated
Taimur's Blog - taimur.me

Leave us a Review
If you enjoy the podcast, we've love for you to leave us a review on iTunes. This helps other people discover the show - podcasts.apple.com/podcast/not-overthinking/id1456538451
Are reassuring comments condescending?Mathematical Revelations - How to Understand ThingsMoney, Stories, and Old PeopleBook Discussion - The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl TruemanThe Asymmetry of CringeFriendships and Relationships ft. Valentin and CliffThe Pathless PathPills & Paradigm ShiftsInvisible Shackles & Life Scripts68 Bits of Unsolicited AdviceBeing WeirdWhat does it mean to be authentic?
Not Overthinking |

Are reassuring comments condescending?

SHARE TO X SHARE TO REDDIT SHARE TO FACEBOOK WALLPAPER