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I guess there are a lot of different "camps."...There is the "politically correct camp." There is the "sarcasm is all in good fun" camp...There is the "sarcasm is always mean and hurtful" camp...There is the "don't say much because what you say might get you in trouble" camp or the "don't say much because what you say might make you look stupid" camp...Or the "always be nice" camp or ??? How many more "camps" are there? Can you think of anymore?
What does it mean to take things literally? I view it as taking what is said at "face value" without considering other possible meanings or factors...For instance a child might yell out "I hate you" in anger to Mom...But Mom knows that the child is just angry at the time. She doesn't take what her child says literally or personally in the sense that she believes that her child will "hate her" forever and ever...Although I did see one Mom take a statement like this "very personally" when her daughter "lashed out." This was surprising to me because most Moms know that kids say lots of things when they are angry....It all blows over pretty fast...It seems hard to be in a relationship with people who tend to take things literally most of the time. How do you feel about it? Thanks...
Ah! Good question. From my own personal experience, which seems to be isolated many times, a person who takes things literally is a person who cannot think a bit more critically. In some cases, it could mean not being able to think for themselves.
Good insight. It is also a problem for those that do and fail to recognize the other doesn't. Having the Torch carrying mobs surround the Castle and seek your demise gets old. There is only so many times you can put up with being tar'd, feathered and ridden out on a rail before you give up.
I don't really perceive this as a problem. It's just another way of finding your own "birds of a feather."
Sometimes people think I take things too literally. It's either I'm passionate about the subject or I'm just trying to get my point across and came to hard on them.
It can be kind of when you post and the OP totally takes it seriously when you meant it to be tongue in cheek!!I once made the mistake of owning up to my sarcasim and apologized(I was flamed). It doesn't stop me but I now know to keep from admitting to it!
What does it mean to take things literally? I view it as taking what is said at "face value" without considering other possible meanings or factors...For instance a child might yell out "I hate you" in anger to Mom...But Mom knows that the child is just angry at the time. She doesn't take what her child says literally or personally in the sense that she believes that her child will "hate her" forever and ever...Although I did see one Mom take a statement like this "very personally" when her daughter "lashed out." This was surprising to me because most Moms know that kids say lots of things when they are angry....It all blows over pretty fast...It seems hard to be in a relationship with people who tend to take things literally most of the time. How do you feel about it? Thanks...
I think you are about the closest here.
People who are not very careful with their words will opt for the word that adds extra weight to their argument. For example, someone might say, "You're always up for a fight".
What does that mean to you in the absence of a context? That the person is always ready to lash out?
It could also have been intended as a compliment to the person's alertness or tenacity(in the right context).
It is really about reading the context which also includes judging how carefully the individual chooses their words (part of the context).
Many people have trouble reading the context of a situation. This can be a difficulty in reading body language, tone of voice or the situation.
Many people have trouble creating an appropriate context for others to interpret their actions.
By this I mean, for example, some people enter a home and fail to make eye contact and exchange salutations with other people. These very same people would say, "I didn't think I was being rude" while one of the other people in the home say, "They just barge right in like they own the place."
It is all communication which happens on many levels, not merely the specific words. By focusing on words only, you risk losing a lot of meaning. Hence, someone is being "too literal".
People who are not very careful with their words will opt for the word that adds extra weight to their argument. For example, someone might say, "You're always up for a fight".
What does that mean to you in the absence of a context? That the person is always ready to lash out?
It could also have been intended as a compliment to the person's alertness or tenacity(in the right context).
It is really about reading the context which also includes judging how carefully the individual chooses their words (part of the context).
Many people have trouble reading the context of a situation. This can be a difficulty in reading body language, tone of voice or the situation.
Many people have trouble creating an appropriate context for others to interpret their actions.
By this I mean, for example, some people enter a home and fail to make eye contact and exchange salutations with other people. These very same people would say, "I didn't think I was being rude" while one of the other people in the home say, "They just barge right in like they own the place."
It is all communication which happens on many levels, not merely the specific words. By focusing on words only, you risk losing a lot of meaning. Hence, someone is being "too literal".
WC
Interesting post. Another thing to consider is that mental faculty, if that is the right word, is not being used to its maximum to interpret things like context.
For a very personal example, during my childhood, almost on a daily basis, whatever I did was considered bad and I was never allowed to correct my behavior. I had a hard time concentrating on context as a teenager and as an adult because I was too focused on words.
So if somebody was to tell me that I am always up for a fight, I would automatically assume that they meant to insult me no matter how hard I was trying to keep my tone in check.
I work with people with autism spectrum disorders who, among other things, nearly all have a very difficult time taking things any way other than literally, as communication and interpretation of nuance and all things abstract is a very real developmental challenge. Not being able to grasp hyperbole and the like makes relating to others very, very difficult.
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when you post and the OP totally takes it seriously when you meant it to be tongue in cheek!!I once made the mistake of owning up to my sarcasim and apologized(I was flamed).
It doesn't stop me but I now know to keep from admitting to it
!
