Stupid? Perhaps not. It's just a matter of... er, "presentation", I think. People are weird that way. It amounts to the same thing in the end, but a bit of subtlety is generally better received at first.

In the same way that leading up to bad news is usually better than just blurting it out. (Not quite the most appropriate metaphor, that.)

Dunno why people act that way. Seems like they just do.