"How far is it to the next village" the American asks a man sitting by the side of the road. In some countries, because the man realizes that the traveler is tired and eager to get to his destination (目的地), he will politely say "Just down the road." He thinks this is more encouraging, gentler, and therefore the wanted answer. So the American drives through the night, getting more and more angry, feeling "tricked". He thinks the man deliberately (故意地) cheated him, for obviously he must have known the distance quite well.

Had conditions been reversed (颠倒过来), the American would have felt he was "cheating" the driver if he had said the next town was close when he knew it was really 15 miles further on. Though, he, too, would be sympathetic (同情的) to the weary driver, he would say "You have a good way to go yet; it is at least 15 miles." The driver might be disappointed, but he would know what to expect.

Whether to be accurate (准确的) or polite leads to many misunderstandings between people of different cultures. If you are aware of the situation in advance, it is sometimes easier to recognize the problem.