What do you think it means when a person says something is not your business? Or what do you mean when you say the clause? Like other clauses, it can be used to mean several things asides from its literal meaning.
When a person says something is not your business, it could mean;
- It doesn’t concern you.
- He/she doesn’t want you to know something
- He/she is angry with you.
- He/she doesn’t want to listen to you
It doesn’t concern you
This is the literal meaning of the clause. However, it is easy to think it means something deeper because the clause sounds quite impolite. When something is not your business, it does not concern you in any way. It doesn’t affect you at all.
In other words, you can ignore it and you won’t be affected in any way.
When a person says something is none of your business, it could simply mean you are only trying to pry into someone else’s affairs.
He/she doesn’t want you to know something
When a person says something is not your business, he/she is saying it doesn’t affect you and you shouldn’t be concerned. However, it is not always true, even though that is exactly what is implied.
You could ask about the welfare of a friend or a sibling and get this response. While he/she implies that you should not be concerned, you know you feel affected by the person’s welfare.
In most cases, the clause is only said when the person does not want to talk to you about something so he/she wants you to forget about it.
He/she is angry with you
When a person says something is not your business, it may only mean that the person is angry with you. You may have found yourself using this clause for the same reason.
When we get angry, there are high chances that we say things that we don’t mean. In this case, the person is only saying the clause to dismiss the other person.
The other person may be severely affected. However, at the moment, the person is only reacting angrily and saying things to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
This is one of the most common clauses blurted out of anger In conversations so there is a high chance the clause was only stated out of anger.
He/she doesn’t want to listen to you
The clause could simply be a way to shut you up. When a person says something is not your business, it may be meant literally. In that case, the person wants you to ignore it since it doesn’t affect you in any way.
It could be said when a person does not want to talk to you about something. However, when the statement is made, what is expected from you is to stop talking about it.
The situation may be your business but the person has said this because he/she doesn’t want to hear your advice or complaints about the issue.
Is saying none of your business rude?
Should you find it impolite when a person says something is not your business? Yes. People will find it extremely rude when you say it is none of their business, even if it is the truth.
Why is it rude? Asides from the way it sounds, the clause is rude for several reasons. Firstly, there are more polite ways to pass the message.
Secondly, it is a way of shutting a person up. Thirdly, it implies that a person is prying into your business or another person’s business. In addition, it implies that a person’s opinions or efforts in a particular situation or topic are not appreciated.
The clause could be true. In that case, the topic is not your business and you should not be concerned. However, saying that to a person should not be done abruptly.
There are more polite ways to make a person understand that he/she should not be concerned about an issue. Saying this automatically tells the person to stay away without giving a reason.
In most cases, it is used to shut a person up. There is a high chance that you have also made this statement to a person out of anger.
At that moment, the goal of making the statement is to make the person stop talking to you about something. For this reason, it is very easy for most people to misunderstand the statement, even when the issue is really none of their business.
Saying this also means that a person is being nosy. That will not be found polite by anyone. Instead of stating directly that a person is prying, you can briefly explain why the person should not be interested in the topic being addressed.
Lastly, saying this pushes a person and his/her opinions away. When a person speaks his ideas on a topic that doesn’t concern him/her, he/she is only trying to care.
When this statement is made, it shows that the person’s input is not appreciated. The person will feel embarrassed
Why do people say none of your business?
Why do people use the statement? Most of the time, it is simply because it is not your business.
There are several reasons you may hear a person say that something is not your business;
- When it’s not your business
- When you are doing too much
- When you appear unpleasant
- When your effort is not appreciated
When it’s not your business
A person can tell you directly that something is not your business because it is not your business. In many cases, it is unnecessary. In the modern world, people, including strangers, from different parts, are connected on the internet.
People are able to discuss their personal lives and get the opinions of people who shouldn’t care. On social media, it becomes unnecessary to say a particular issue is not the business of one person.
This is because every topic on the internet is already open for discussion in all parts of the world. However, if the argument comes up on whose business it is, some topics may not be your business and you can’t prove why you should be concerned because you are not affected.
When you are doing too much
As mentioned earlier, all topics on the internet are open for discussion everywhere in the world. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to say a social media topic is not a person’s business.
Virtually every comment on social media topics is made by people who are not affected by it in any way. However, it is common to see people get called out for their opinions because they are going too far on a topic that doesn’t affect them.
When you appear unpleasant
In modern society, people tend to be free to air their opinions on several issues, including the ones that don’t concern them.
Some opinions eventually lead to arguments. Then there are cases where a nosy person pries into a topic to tell another nosy person to stop prying into the topic.
This happens often when one person’s opinion seems toxic or unpleasant. In that case, people can react against a person’s freedom of speech.
When your effort is not appreciated
When a person says that something is not your business, it has one major meaning; you are not welcomed.
People are allowed to pry into the businesses of one another and, in many cases, it is appreciated. People are able to help one another and share opinions on each other’s situations.
When a person pries, there is a high chance that he/she is only trying to be of help. A topic may not be your business but you may be willing to share your opinion on the topic because you believe it can be of help to a person.
When someone says it is not your business, your opinions and efforts are not appreciated and may not be utilized.
Other Ways To Say None Of Your Business
- Focus on yourself
- Butt out
- Don’t worry about it.
- How does this affect you?
- It doesn’t concern you
- Stop prying
- Keep your nose out of it
Focus on yourself
If you think saying None of your business to a person is impolite, you can try this. This is not more polite.
The basic difference between the two clauses is None of your business already sounds like an insult and will be easily misunderstood while you may get the chance to explain why Focus on yourself was not meant as an insult.
The two clauses mean the same thing. While the clause may not always sound rude, it is not very polite either. This is because it may end a conversation abruptly.
You can continue a conversation to a point where you tell a person to focus on himself or herself. Saying abruptly would exactly mean None of your business and may be interpreted as an insult.
Butt out
This is an informal way to tell a person None of your business. This phrase does not exactly mean the same thing. However, it can pass the same message.
It is common to tolerate people who pry into conversations. However, when one reacts negatively toward the act, the goal is to stop the person from continuing with the act.
Instead of saying a topic is not a person’s business, you can ask the person to focus on his/her life and stop prying into your affairs. You would be passing the same message.
An informal way of passing the same message is telling the person to Butt out. It is not polite but it is not less rude than saying None of your business to a person who is voicing out his/her opinions.
Don’t worry about it
This is one of the best ways to pass the same message with fewer risks of insulting the other person. None of your business can be used in a conversation with its simple meaning but it can be abrupt and embarrassing.
It is already considered an insult. If you have to tell a person to stay away from a situation or topic, you can tell the person not to worry about it.
There is a high chance that a question will be asked, then you get to explain why the person shouldn’t be concerned.
How does this affect you?
As stated earlier, None of your business is often used to shut a person up. Similarly, you can shut a person up by asking this rhetorical question; How does that affect you?
There is a high chance the person will say nothing more or you will be getting the same response you would have gotten if you simply said None of your business.
This is because the person is prying into your affairs and he/she has no excuse. The person will most likely feel embarrassed.
It doesn’t concern you
This is a direct way to pass the message. Depending on how you sound, you may or may not appear rude by saying this.
This directly tells the person that you don’t expect the person to have an opinion in your affairs. It could also be less rude if you are referring to another person’s affairs.
Stop prying
This is another direct way to pass the message. It sounds like an accusation so a person may find this offensive. If the person is trying to help you with his/her opinions or actions, saying this would mean you do not appreciate the person’s efforts.
That is the same message you would be passing by telling a person who is trying to help you to mind his/her business. If you don’t care about sounding rude, this will pass the message you intend.
Keep your nose out of it
This is another direct accusation. By saying this, you are directly saying the person is prying into matters that don’t concern him/her.
It is rude and it will sound more embarrassing than telling a person to mind his/her business. However, this sounds quite funny and can be used with close friends. None of your business is mostly used in serious situations and may not be found funny.
With your tone and facial expression, you can use this offensive clause without offending anyone.