Hi Ruby,

For one thing, this supervisor was not being hateful, as your thread title suggests. He just simply was making it clear to you that he did not wish to discuss anything or answer questions about his ex wife.

Now, in light of the conversation, your question seems innocent enough because your co-worker had asked if he had more than one kid. However, at the same time, I can also see your supervisor's discomfort with you asking about his ex wife, which could come across as a bit too probing and intrusive.

It's not a double standard necessarily, it's just understanding that asking about someone's ex wife may not be the most comfortable conversation a person wants to have, and can be crossing boundaries. I think we need to be very careful when asking supervisors, especially a supervisor, about their personal lives.

I wouldn't take offense.... he only didn't want to discuss it.