The planet Diamore is about to blow apart, but its people, a young and headstrong race, refuse any help from Earth. A telepath is sent down to reason with them, only to find that reading minds tells him what they think and not whether it is true, and that adolescents, of any species, rarely ask for help.
An early story by Ellison, published under the pen name Ellis Hart in 1957. Download the free EPUB.