The "May I be permitted to..." ban

"Would it be possible for me to consult with you?"
"I would appreciate it if I could confirm this with you."
"I would be grateful if I could report this to you"

...Emails written like this have started coming in frequently.

Peeking at social media posts by colleagues

"I was honored to be awarded for the work I was in charge of!"

...posts like that pop up here and there.

Turn on the TV, and celebrities are saying

"We'd like to announce that we've gotten married,"

...at press conferences.

Everywhere you look, it's "I have been given the opportunity to..." galore. Why has the world become like this? The underlying psychology is "I don't want to be disliked."

In business emails, using "would like to be permitted to" is typically when writing something the recipient might dislike.

"I would be grateful if we could discuss moving up the deadline,"

...that sort of thing.

Posts like "I was honored to win at Cannes!"—common among creators—reveal an ulterior motive: "I'm bragging, but please don't hate me♪". "We were honored to register our marriage" is likely similar.

They'll do anything to avoid being disliked or criticized. "Would it be possible for me to..." might be a phrase symbolizing this age of intolerance.

However, in business, an excessive fear of being disliked is problematic. Situations inevitably arise where you must convey something unpleasant to the other party. People who constantly use "would it be possible for me to..." may seem polite at first glance, but they prioritize avoiding dislike over business. So, what kind of writing should you use?

...My apologies for the late introduction. I'm Yukio Hashiguchi, a copywriter. I receive mountains of "Would you mind letting me..." emails every single day (laugh). Drawing on this experience, I'd like to explain how to write emails without using "Would you mind letting me...".

Take a look at the following example.

Regarding the catchphrase from the other day, after re-examining it, while the overall direction and concept seem generally sound, I would like to request your reconsideration and consultation regarding the content of the catchphrase itself. I would be grateful if you could consider this.

This is a classic example of "trying to phrase something unpleasant gently, only to end up with a confusing and irritating message." Let's remove the indirect phrasing like "would you mind letting me..." from here.

Sorry! Please draft a new catchphrase.

How about this? The latter is shorter, clearer, and leaves a better impression, right?

There's a term called "polite rudeness." It means "appearing courteous on the surface while secretly looking down on the other person." Overly polite writing can actually damage perceptions.

People who repeatedly use "would you mind letting me do..." probably don't actually look down on others. However, writing stiffened with unnecessary honorifics inevitably obscures the writer's face. People whose faces you can't see aren't trusted, whether in business or private life.

When writing, consciously apply the rule: ban "sasete itadakemasen desu ka?" No matter how tempting it feels, resist the urge and find alternative phrasing. Your emails—and even personal social media posts—will become significantly clearer.

If you'd like to learn more detailed methods, I highly recommend reading my book, "Word Diet."
 

'Word Diet: The Ultimate Writing Technique That Transforms Emails, Proposals, and Job Hunting' Sendenkaigi Publishing, 215 pages, ¥1,500 + tax, ISBN 978-4-88335-480-1

It explains how to turn difficult-to-convey ideas into concise, pleasant-sounding writing, complete with example sentences.

I'd be delighted to recommend it!

...Whoops. Even when I know better, I still end up writing like that. I really need to be careful.