I hate sentences that start with "You should." They usual proceed some unwanted advice that one has no intention of following. The most common one I've received throughout life is, "You should learn to drive." This despite the fact that I have never wanted to drive and am content to not have a car with its many, many expenses. Other popular admonitions are, "You should learn Spanish." I haven't even learned French which I would like to speak. "You should get a better cell phone." I haven't even mastered my simple pay-as-you-go model. While I find these unwelcome suggestions annoying, I also find them curious. I have no interest whatever in encouraging people to live any differently than they do. If they're lousy drivers, I don't ride with them. If they're alcoholics, they'll reform or they won't. I couldn't care less how people dress, what hairstyle they prefer, or anything about them that doesn't affect me. And if there were some behavior I disapproved of, I wouldn't give them a "you should" suggestion, I would either accept it or not. And if I couldn't accept it, I would drop them. Of course if someone asked me for advice I would, in most cases, be happy to comply. But any advice I gave would not begin with, "You should."
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