Am I taking things too literally?

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She didn't say "within a week" though. She said "by the end of the week" and since the clinic's closed on weekends I assumed she meant Friday.

I dont know, what that could be other than "until the end of the week" and that can mean any day and not just Friday
(That waiting for the call only on Friday is taking something quite literally
because in principle she could have called also on other week days)

End of the week is Friday and not weekend. Totally normal to expect a call latest on Friday to my opinion
And if it is really important than you'll get nervous on Friday and watch your phone over and over again...
I think that's not really different with NTs, either.


Well I am not any kind of English language expert that I would be able if here an other interpretation of "by the end of" was possible...

Wow, i thought I was the only one!

When I am quoted a time, that is what I expect, no more no less.

I am also diligent about keeping times that I quote. If im on the road and I tell someone I will arrive at 1:30, it drives me nuts if i get caught in traffic, if i have no commitments, i could care less what time i arrive.

When i took the city bus, it threw my whole day if the bus was late. If the bus was due by my house at 7:37am, i started to panic at 7:38. If i am scheduled to be done work at 5, it bugs me if im still there at 5:02.

Unlike others, people showing up early does not bother me one bit. I would rather a guest arrive an hour early than a minute late.

I don't get it either but I was taught that a lot of times when people say an exact time they mean "around that time" unless they specify "exactly" or "on the dot". I've gotten annoyed with people for this before and been told that I just took what they said too literally. I don't see why they wouldn't specify "around that time" because "at 6:00" should mean exactly at 6:00 not around. People saying they'll call or email and then not doing it............that is really annoying and I think it's wrong of people to do this (if they do it intentionally). Sometimes it can be unintentional (people forget) but apparently some people say things like "I'll email you" or "I'll add you to facebook" when you meet them and they never do. I think it's just another social nicety thing (they don't really mean it..it's just polite). But why? I don't know.....you could just say "nice to meet you" and leave it at that...that's still polite. So really I don't get it either.............but this does happen a lot (at least to me) and it is annoying and it is sort of like being too literal...looking at things too logically when they have a specific social meaning. Logically if someone says they'll meet you at 4:30 they should be there at exactly 4:30...but the unwritten social convention is that people sat "at time" but they mean "around time".

I don't know if most NT's have an issue with this or not. My aunt who has an anxiety disorder expects people to be 15 minutes earlier than whatever time they say they'll be some place.

Well I would be really annoyed and anxious if that happened to me but that kind of thing does happen. Actually there's a doctor who's supposed to do my disability tax credit form and he keeps saying "yeah...I'll have it done next week" and doesn't get it done by the end of the next week and then will just say "oh yes...I had to do.......I'll get to it next week.........." My mom says just to relax and since we don't have a specific time limit for it (just want to get it in as quickly as possible but no specific limit) and he knows this ....that he'll just do it when he's not busy. But then...why give me a specific date time when he'll do it by? Apparently I'm taking what he says too exactly (too literally in a way). Anyway that's why I made that comment according to the NT's in my family yes this is taking things too literally.....but I do it too.

I am a big stickler for time. I give what I expect. If I tell someone 2 p.m., then I am sure that there is no way I miss a 2 p.m. deadline. If someone tells me they will call at a certain time, I have the phone in hand. If they are late and have an apology, I am not angry. I do feel very disrupted, though. I like specifics. If someone is uncertain and gives me a window, then that is okay. Please just tell me it is a certain time frame and then at what time or date is the parameter on that window.

Yes.......why can't people just do that?

This! Exactly this.

I used to take things literally a lot as a kid, and to a greatly lesser extent, a teenager. I've slowly learned not to do it.

I know that they say something which they wont necessarily keep. But still you'll have to contact them which is unpleasent.
But this getting stressed when people do not keep that what they promise has I think nothing (or very little only) to do with taking things too literally.

Normally I hate only those things that I recognize to not to take literally, but still people think I would and sort of think I would be stupid.

And especially regarding this you could always say I didnt mean it the way I said or it doesnt matter like your mother said.
It actually does matter because you'll have to phone and remind them because they forgot. And then they might get offended although you didn't do anything wrong...

You're always a special case. And special cases are difficult. Nothing like business as usual. They'll always easily end up as last in the cue or get easily forgotten.
And that is not nice for anybody. And extremely nice feeling if all your things end up in something like this (I don't know exactly why but that is my experience)

Then of course there is that stress that can come from in principle very easy to do things ...
And especially when you should move your as they become more difficult to do