Let's give ourselves a break for a minute here, OK?

[phoenix64]

I would like to take a moment to point out that it is estimated by some that as little as ten percent of what we get from face-to-face personal communication is from the actual words. Things like tone and facial expressions and other body language make up the rest.

Communicating online is still an incredibly new thing as far as human interation is concerned. When we are in informal spaces online we still tend to write very much like we were talking to a person in the same room. Things get lost in the gap. I know I facepalm constantly when I consider how what I've just written might be interpreted very differently from what I intended.

Take a moment. Breathe. Read it again, with the assumption that you might not have perfectly understood what was being said. Ask for clarification, with the assumption that the other person wasn't trying to be an asshole. Forgive people. Forgive yourself.

Comments

[chatona.livejournal.com]

So very, very, very true. I wish everyone would read this and take it to heart.

... Oh, and while we're at it. If someone does misunderstand someone, don't bitch at them for misunderstanding but try to clear things up. Might prevent wank. That's all I'd have to add :D