Questions tagged [misunderstandings]
Used in situations where someone's motives, actions or words have either been wrongly interpreted or they haven't been properly conveyed.
26
questions
-4
votes
1answer
570 views
How to Apologize to a Professor After a Falling-Out? [closed]
Some background: Our falling out occurred when I wrote a letter to the department chair, complaining that her communications triggered an anxiety episode on a few occasions. This letter was prompted ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
How to communicate to a fellow student of the opposite sex that avoids me that I have no interest in her whatsoever
It seems more and more evident that a fellow student (we are in the same engineering year) of the opposite gender tends to avoid me because she seems to fear that I am somewhat interested in her. This ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I get my partner to stop reminiscing about misunderstanding?
A couple of friends of mine were organising a dinner at one of their places for our group to meet. I told my boyfriend that there might be an event for us to attend in the next week, so he could plan ...
7
votes
1answer
843 views
Dealing with a white lie that caused problems
So we have a new intern in the office. They are entirely unpaid and only really here because their uni makes it mandatory. Boss welcomes the free labour as there are plenty of small spare projects and ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
How to repair my relationship with my sister?
My sister and I were best friends growing up. In the past couple of years, she has met, dated, and married a guy with mental health problems that affect their day to day life. My sister didn't know ...
3
votes
1answer
609 views
How to know whether someone is saluting you or not, if they say “HI” in front of you? [closed]
A person says "hi" in front of me, but I don’t know whether the person says it to me.
There are two possibilities:
The person actually says "hi" to me.
The person says "hi" to another person behind ...
71
votes
6answers
16k views
How do I tell my girlfriend she's been buying me books by the wrong author for the last nine months?
Help! For the last nine months my girlfriend has been buying me books by the wrong author, fully believing that she's treating me to work by my favourite writer (who incidentally she believes is a ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views
How can I tactfully point out that someone misunderstood me?
Yesterday at work I had the same misunderstanding with two different co-workers. I'm working on a website with both an English and Spanish version. I explained over Slack that I found the resource ...
15
votes
7answers
1k views
How do I deal with the problem of people who aren't listening to what I'm actually saying?
The problem
I've spent many years gauging my interactions with other people, and a commonly reoccurring theme is the other person already has presumed what I'm saying or going to say, or has drawn up ...
2
votes
2answers
526 views
How can I reassure others that I'm not offended by their teasing?
I have a group of friends who I sit with on the bus. Usually, they have fun talking while I watch and listen, which I'm perfectly fine with. From time to time I join in to their conversation, which ...
2
votes
1answer
471 views
I'm literal; how can I understand what is meant? [closed]
Well I'm not literally literal. But I interpret communication relatively literally. Specifically I usually take definitions literally. This leads to misinterpretations.
Others have called me ...
54
votes
17answers
10k views
Maintaining honesty while being comforting in response to insecurity about relationship?
My wife and I are happily married and have a great relationship, but my wife is on occasion plagued by feelings of insecurity and concern that I am unhappy and want to leave the relationship. These ...
55
votes
16answers
53k views
How can I let my girlfriend know that her insults are hurting my feelings and ask her to stop?
Some background about me and my girlfriend:
We are in a long distance relationship for more than four years, so we only see each other on weekends (unfortunately not every weekend), but this is about ...
12
votes
4answers
6k views
How to deal with a huge misunderstanding and an angry ex-girlfriend?
A few weeks ago, my ex-girlfriend and I broke up. It was a peaceful ending, with no tears, or fights - we simply accepted that was better for us to move on. We were living in the same place, until I ...
-9
votes
2answers
3k views
How to tell a date I really enjoyed our dates so far and I would like to go on another, when I might have offended her? [closed]
Here's the setting:
Blake and I met while in graduate school, taking a couple of classes together. She had this quiet intelligence about her that was really attractive, and on one wintry night, I ...
18
votes
9answers
6k views
Means of expressing sympathy and understanding without saying “I know”
Recently I have been in a position where a friend of mine has been going through difficult times and has come to me as a shoulder to cry on and/or for emotional support. During these times I find ...
1
vote
1answer
725 views
How could I determine if one simply could not or also would not like to go on a date? [closed]
I am not particularly good at picking up on social cues, and, regardless, a question of what cues might indicate the answer to my question would be more opinion-based.
For context, I am an 18-year-...
44
votes
9answers
34k views
How to respond when someone tells you about their failure
I tend to be relatively successful (I'm a student) compared to my friends, so many times, when my friends tell me about their failures (did poorly on a test, got rejected by a college, etc.), I'm not ...
32
votes
8answers
9k views
How to deal with person offloading their indecision on their host under guise of kindness?
Hard to come up with a succinct title for this question, but a few sentences should clarify:
My partner and I are hosting a relative of my partner for a 2 week visit. There's a reoccurring issue ...
39
votes
8answers
32k views
How to ask a friend to remove/not post photos of me on social media?
We recently attended a friend's birthday party where some pictures were taken. I had no problem with it, as long as these photos were not put online and shared.
The majority of my friends (I'd say ...
19
votes
9answers
13k views
How can I tell a friend they need to help with what they promised because what they promised can't wait?
Situation
My boyfriend, John, has a female cat. He's had her for a long time. He also happens to have a friend, Lily, who loves cats.
Over time, Lily went from being a cat lover to being a cat ...
19
votes
6answers
7k views
Dealing with a wait-and-see situation when you have a time constraint
Short Version:
I have a budding friendship with a coworker, but recently said something incredibly stupid that has left them feeling justifiably hurt. While I think it would be best to give them ...
93
votes
11answers
56k views
How to clearly communicate that you're asking someone on a date?
It seems to me that it's sometimes difficult to both stay within the social protocol and also communicate your intentions clearly.
As an example of this, I once asked a girl I knew out to see a ...
133
votes
13answers
29k views
How can I explain to people that a programmer isn't a computer technician?
In Italy, a lot of people keep thinking that programmers are computer technicians.
A programmer does completely different things, and in a company, I'm not the guy who should assemble your computer ...
13
votes
9answers
4k views
How to deal with an employer's backhanded compliments?
This is no longer a problem, as he has moved on and I have retired, but I still don't know how it could/should have been handled. I'll write it in the present tense, though.
My employer in the ...
24
votes
3answers
2k views
What to do when someone serves chicken after you told them you are vegetarian? [closed]
This question opens a broad spectrum of sub-questions such as religious standards (halal, kosher); health-related (gluten intolerance); and lifestyle/ethical questions (vegetarian). Therefore, I will ...
