BlueYellowBrownGreen wrote:
Ever had a discussion and you say something and then the person starts a big argument and gets what you said wrong and the whole premise of their argument is on something you never said or wrote?
For example, lets say you said that you don't like the song "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers and the person starts having an argument about how you don't like Kenny Rogers or how you don't like country music.
Or you say that you don't like pizza and they call you racist for not liking Italians!
This to me, is crazy making. They are not even listening to you or hearing you! And even after you clarify, they still say, "Well, not all country music is depressing you know!".
Those misunderstandings you mention all sound plausible. I can imagine how "not liking pizza" can be heard as "not liking pizza" even if it's an incorrect assumption.
What I can't understand is how "I'm looking for a help line that isn't a suicide hotline because I'm not suicidal" can be interpreted as "I'm going to jump in front of a train". When my answer to the question "are you psychic" is "no" and they hear "yes" it baffles me.
I expect certain misunderstandings. I would expect a misunderstanding in the scenario you describe. What's frustrating is when you can't come up with a plausible misunderstanding. In those moments it feels like they have to have fabricated something. They must be putting words in your mouth. There is no plausible misunderstanding so they must be making stuff up to justify locking you up in a psychiatric facility. Suddenly delusions of persecution become reasonable. You're not delusional but you're in such an inplausible situation that the only reasonable explanation is one that is "out there".
"Not liking pizza" is something that I can reasonably expect someone to interpret as "not liking Italians". It's totally irrational but it makes sense how a person can irrationally make the connection. Pizza is associated with Italian culture. It doesn't make sense to me how "I don't want to use a suicide hotline because I'm not suicidal" can be heard as "I'm going to jump in front of a train".
28 Jan 2015, 9:34 pm
