I have had quite a few cases of just that happening to me. I thought I was just misunderstood, but it appears that my words get twisted into what people think they are hearing/seeing. I am not sure if it is what these people feel about me; that they already decided who I am as a person and it is not something that they like, or they look at things in the same light as how they are feeling at that particular moment in time. I believe that people try to relate in some shape or form to everyone they come in contact with. Maybe I am completely wrong when it comes to the words I choose, because there are multiple meanings to words. Look in a dictionary and pick a random word. Even the dictionary gives you multiple meanings of a word, when it is not a noun. At least there are some words that have really only one meaning, so I can feel comfort in knowing that all my words cannot be misconstrued.
When it comes to people that I think have those proverbial blinders on and see things only one way according to their own thought process which I believe is swayed by mood and preconceived belief, I actually feel sorry for them. There will always be a misunderstanding, there will always be arguments, there will always be bitterness. I guess that is why the First Amendment of the Constitution is one of the most argued things : Freedom of Speech. Having freedom of speech does allow for freedom of interpretation.
Think about this..... You walk into a library. There are hundreds of thousands of books there and all divided into different categories (Literature, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Reference, How-to, Self-help etc.), and in those rows and rows of books are options-a-plenty. Each book is different because of the author's perception of the topic. Lets say you are looking for a book about diets. There are hundreds of them (possibly thousands) and after looking through a bunch of them, you choose the one that you agree with most. It is not a bad thing, but it does show that people are more prone to choose what they want to read based on their agreement towards it. A person's choice in what they read is based on what they like to read and not to expand their horizons intellectually. I know that I fit in that category and I am not afraid to admit it that I tend to be a little biased. What I enjoy reading is not necessarily what you like to read and vise versa.
I guess the best example of how words twist into what you want them to be is in famous sayings that have been able to stand the test of time. "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen", was made famous by President Truman. The meaning can be about anything from actually being in a kitchen to something more obscure as a situation being faced. It is how a person uses the phrase. Simple words meaning something different because of feeling. I guess that is why I try to explain myself. I know that it is a futile attempt to get my point across, but it seems more and more prevalent that I become more and more misunderstood. Sadly, the ones that lack understanding me the most are the ones that make it so hard to express myself without causing conflict. I never stated that I am perfect, I have never stated that I know it all, but I am stating that I am trying to learn. Maybe my sharing of thoughts and feelings is wrong in other's eyes, but in my heart, I am trying to become a better person by sharing who I am.
"I never stated that I am perfect, I have never stated that I know it all, but I am stating that I am trying to learn. Maybe my sharing of thoughts and feelings is wrong in other's eyes, but in my heart, I am trying to become a better person by sharing who I am."
ReplyDeleteI love that sentiment. This shit is hard, but I think you do become a better person by getting to know yourself better. For us we do it via writing our thoughts down. :)