Ever say or do something and have it mistakenly taken as ill-intent?
I think I have today...you live and learn.
Oh yeah. Happens more than I like. Communication is such a tricky thing!
Have I ever! And I am always amazed that what I thought was clear obviously was not. I think and speak and type fast. A really bad combo sometimes!
Especially if it is by text, email or a web posting! It has happened to me alot! Sometimes our words are lost without the proper voice inflections to clarify our message. Sarcasm or joking can easily be misconstrued. Emoticons help, but, nothing can replace our voice and accompanying body language...
all the time. 90% of it on the interwebz.
WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?
But srsly. I think that by & large, people tend to be fairly forgiving of such things, once we have an opportunity to explain what our actual message was. You're right - you learn from it. And maybe there's some value in that.
well, i got fired for it from a job that i had had for over 13 years (all verbal communications). so yea, i know what you mean. normally most people will give you a chance to explain and appologize if you carefully bring up the topic soon, if you let time pass there is the possibility that they will forget, but they might hold it against you as a general grudge.
Wait, the Internet doesn't allow nuances of language?
Yep, I usually mange about once a week. Right now, I'm caught up through May...of 2015.
Oh, not you too! I had a totally Emily Litella rave out response to an email I was forwarded this morning. Had to send out an additional "never mind/ah, jeez, I'm an idiot" email afterward. Yep. It's definitely Friday the 13th ;)
@moosezilla: Dooce, is that you?
@lavikinga: uuhhh...no. i a female in central illinois with no guess who you might be.
@lavikinga: I have just one thing to say:
:-(
{Yes, it's true, I adore guilt.}
Also, I am very sneaky.
Also, I like to say or do things at least once per hour that will get me into trouble. This comment, for example.
;-}
Yes. Often enough to go over words in my head before I speak them.
Also, texting is horrible at taking words out of context & mixed meanings. A short answer had better be an obvious answer or else it will be misconstrued.
Yes. This happens regularly for me with people I don't know terribly well.
I tend to be blunt much of the time, especially if I'm tired or irritated. That's something that's not as common where I live (Texas) where most people have their tact filters installed in the outgoing direction. Mine is definitely installed in the incoming direction. So I have to be careful when communicating with people who don't know me well. My sarcasm doesn't help either.
Yes, I am married. 'Nuff said here.
Go back and read any post I've ever written here. Then you tell me.
@wingnutzero: Prob more than half of my comments get that, and people just add to the last person and so on. The snow ball gets so big it can't be turned around..
Also anytime I bring up mac's, the last time I looked I was sitting around -70 for my mac comment.
Way too often and I try, I mean I really try, to be careful. With written communication, especially when I am explaining procedures to staff people, I read, reread and read again, trying to look at it through a staff person's ideas. Yet, still, it gets misinterpreted. It must be me, because it's not just one person who doesn't "get it" - Now, as much as possible, I try to communicate face to face and follow that up with a
written summary. A good deal of communication happens via body language and that's impossible to put on paper.
Yes, this happens occasionally, even with face-to-face conversation. (Though I'll grant that some of the face-to-face miscommunication is due to sarcasm or hyperbole.)
With written communication I try to be extremely careful, frequently stating things at least twice. However, this can make things harder to read and sometimes people still interpret things in completely different ways.
@moosezilla: and see? My comment to you was a prime example of me not getting my joke across.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/39/messages/440.html ( I swear the link is safe)
@shrdlu: you'd really smack me if you knew just how badly I had stepped in it. How's the @flounder by the way?
Thanks for posting that link... I just spent most of the last hour reading about phrase origins, which was much more fun and interesting than the cleaning that I planned to do and now must start. :(
Yeah, only on here tho.
@lavikinga: thanks for the link. i am so unhip on terms in modern language. i usually end up asking someone, or just saying i don't know what that is. and no, i don't web log, facebook, or any other sites except for deals.woot. so there is no way anyone could read what i type about and know it's me. my incidents were all face to face stupidity with someone that could dish but not take (her favorite thing to say to other coworkers was "you suk").
@moosezilla: LOL! That's not a bad thing. Think of all those brain cells you've spared from going to stupid sites. I have a FB account mainly to keep tabs on #! daughter. Sometimes it's much easier than picking up the phone or dropping an email, and she lives less than 10 miles away.
My darling twins want to keep "Mom" an internet innocent and years ago forbade me from going to 4Chan or the old EncyclopediaDramatica. They always squirmed when I asked how THEY knew about such sites. :D
I have the opposite problem. :/
24 Answers answer
Sort By: