Scene to read · Communication, Empathy
The table next door
You and your brother are selling your family's old furniture online.
You and your brother Aditya are selling furniture to pay for a roof repair. You promised the dining table online to Monique for two hundred dollars, and she has driven an hour to collect it. As she reaches the front porch, Aditya admits that this morning he sold it to a neighbor for three hundred and twenty in cash. The table is already next door.
The scene
Monique: I rented a van and drove an hour because you said it was mine.
Aditya: I'm sorry. He offered a hundred twenty more, and the roof won't wait.
Monique: A promise is a promise. Go next door and get my table back.
Aditya: He paid, he carried it home. We can't do that to him either.
The two questions
- 1What would you say to Monique and Aditya, and what would you offer?
- 2When keeping a promise to one person would mean breaking faith with another, how do you decide whom to let down?
What raters look for
- Communication
- Listens first, speaks clearly and respectfully, and adapts the message to the listener.
- Empathy
- Recognizes what others feel and need, and lets that shape the response without losing judgment.
Answer scenarios like this on the real timers
Answer both questions on the clock, and get each one scored 1–9 the way raters score. Your first set is free, no card.
Practice free
