The first hint

An original commentary about helping someone with a puzzle.

When someone asks me for a hint, I try to resist the pleasure of knowing the answer. The pleasure arrives quickly. I can see the move they have missed and want to demonstrate it before they have finished explaining where they are stuck.

A useful hint begins with listening. A person may understand the rule but have overlooked a possibility. They may instead be applying the wrong rule with admirable persistence. Giving both people the same instruction would conceal the difference which the help needs to address.

I prefer a small question first. Which condition has not yet been used? What changes if that piece moves? The response tells me whether another hint is needed. It also leaves the person doing something, rather than watching me complete a puzzle which has become mine.

There are times when this approach becomes irritating. A person may want the explanation because they have finished trying, or because the puzzle matters less than getting on with the day. Continuing to offer delicate clues can turn my preferred teaching method into another obstacle. Asking what kind of help they want is part of helping.

The aim is to respond to a person, not preserve a puzzle at any cost. Sometimes a small nudge opens the way. Sometimes the kindest useful answer is the answer.

Explain why the writer thinks helping with a puzzle requires attention to the person asking.