To those sharing their opinions on “empathetic, considerate, gentlemanly answers toward the other person”: this is not the same as “trying to appease them.”

A “tough answer” is one given out of genuine concern for the other person. Making fun of the questioner or trying to put them in their place is simply workplace bullying. Regarding the question, “Is four hours too long for a first-meeting dinner?” Maezawa-san’s answer—“That was based on two hours for the meal and two hours in a private room; if it’s dinner only, there’s no need to stay for four hours”—settles the matter amicably, doesn’t it? It was clear from the wording that this woman wanted dinner only for the first meeting, so Sozetsu-san’s “Why not make it a D arrangement?” was completely beside the point. She never made any extreme demand, such as wanting to skip the meal entirely or finish in 30 minutes, so “Why not just go to Yoshinoya?” was also beside the point. If it had been two hours, she would have accepted it without issue. Of course, there’s no single correct answer in an advice forum, and everyone is free to express their personal opinions. But it was painfully obvious that there was no genuine intention of seriously addressing the question, and the questioner was being mocked. I also question Kida’s statement that he “cuts questioners down one after another.” Is an advice forum not meant to listen to questioners’ concerns and help guide them toward a solution, but instead to give respondents a place to bash and taunt questioners to vent their frustrations? The four-hour dinner issue is just one example. I often get the impression that Sozetsu-san confuses giving a “tough answer” with workplace bullying. It feels just as unreasonable as a teacher who uses corporal punishment or a boss who bullies their employees saying, “I’m doing this for your own good.”