Ask for Sanity Checks, Not Feedback

The insight: "I need sanity checks" is a better way to frame feedback requests than "tell me what you think." It gives people permission to be critical and shows you're looking for specific input.

Why this works:

• •"Tell me what you think" is too open-ended
• •"Sanity check" implies you're looking for blind spots
• •It positions you as confident but not arrogant
• •It makes criticism feel helpful rather than antagonistic

Compare these requests:

• •❌ "What do you think about this?"
• •❌ "Any thoughts?"
• •✅ "Can you sanity check this approach?"
• •✅ "I need a gut check—does this make sense?"
• •✅ "Help me sanity check this before I send it out"

The psychology: People want to be helpful. "Sanity check" frames their criticism as helpful rather than mean.