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.
4
votes
2answers
446 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
6answers
868 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
474 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
453 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
9k 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 ...
54
votes
16answers
35k 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
5k 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 ...
-8
votes
2answers
2k 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
692 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-...
43
votes
9answers
14k 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 ...
31
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 ...
36
votes
8answers
16k 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
12k 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 ...
89
votes
10answers
29k 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 ...
131
votes
13answers
27k 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
3k 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 ...
23
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 ...
