Misinterpreting things online
Communication is the global key in any relationship building process. Whether it’s a business relationship or a friendship between two people, it’s the concept of expressing your thoughts that makes the most impact for many people. The medium of communication used is important in conveying information also, and this medium can greatly affect the manner in which a piece of information is received and interpreted. Saying something in person is sometimes more important than saying the same thing over the phone. Similarly, doing certain things online make certain situations more complicated than they ought to be. Misinterpreting things online is much easier than misinterpreting them in person. At the same time, in some scenarios, clarifying things online can be much easier than clarifying things in person.
Sometimes you cannot explain yourself in person because you can’t find the right words. The same way, sometimes you can’t explain yourself online because of running out of time, given the nature of the dynamic and the ever-changing online world. That’s also how life is for many of us. Many people simply look at the way other people react to something, and they tend to react in a similar fashion. You can’t always control outside factors, like opinions of others, so most of the time you’ll have to deal with them the way many situations need to be dealt with in person, by not dealing them with at all. Why? Because many people always judge others without doing any thinking of their own. It’s easier to follow the crowd than to wonder why.
Take my picture of a white flower stigma as an example. 
While the picture was taken innocently, some people thought it was seductive, suggestive and a few other things. I also got an email from someone saying they were “disappointed” since they used to love my pictures before and had also bought some of my pictures before. On top of that, one of the commentors blocked me on Flickr because of the way people interpreted the picture. All this happened simply because of comments left by others for one picture.
If you’re the one who is being misinterpreted in one way or the other, directly or indirectly, what you can do is to either clarify things clearly or simply let them go. If people jump to conclusions online, then maybe they’re the type of people you find in real life also; people who just look for drama. If you find yourself jumping to conclusions, just pause your certain thoughts for a while and ask yourself this question: “Am I arriving at this thought because of my own thinking, or because others are doing it too?” If you find yourself being judged without any substance, ask yourself this: “Should I even bother to think about this?”
In the end, it all comes down to whether or not something is worth stressing about. Many times, somethings are not even worth thinking about.
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( December 14th, 2006 at 2:37 pm )
Even if the photograph is suggestive, i think it is tastefully done.
Ppl have a tough time accepting facts and coming to terms with reality, there is nothing disgusting about the human anatomy that one should be grossed about…love ur pics on flickr..keep up the good work
( December 14th, 2006 at 4:00 pm )
Good entry, Bes!
I know what you mean about misinterpretations, though… *sigh*…
( December 14th, 2006 at 11:53 pm )
This post reminds me of our previous conversation. I can’t help but to laugh. It seems to me pretty ridiculous. Honestly, I think the photo is quite indecent but I prefer to tell you personally than to publicize it.
( December 15th, 2006 at 3:53 am )
Manik — > Thanks. Glad you like it.
Chau — >
Thank you. Hmmm, I have to ask you more about that. :p
Jerine — > Yes, heh. :p The route you suggest is perfectly fine and should be done as we should express what we think in an effective manner.
( December 15th, 2006 at 3:05 pm )
Hmmm… yeah, and along the same lines, people taking completely wrong the thing you’ve said. Ahem. Grr.
( December 15th, 2006 at 7:33 pm )
I think I know exactly what you’re talking about. 0_0
( December 15th, 2006 at 9:36 pm )
You wrote exactly what I had thought of, after reading the title.
I am a victim of a lot of mis-interpretations by a lot of my best friends.
all because of text chatting…
I hate text chatting…
I really wish I could write more…
( December 20th, 2006 at 1:40 am )
Yeah, difficult - so many flame wars start because people miscommunicate.
I saw an interview with Georgia O’Keefe where she was saying that all the interpretation of eroticism in her flower-pictures came from other people - she painted the flowers as she saw them. You get what you get from any picture because of what’s in your mind already. I think this is a lovely photo and if some people choose to see hidden meanings in it, that’s their interpretation of it, not the picture itself.
( December 26th, 2006 at 7:21 am )
Yes. Interpretation says more about the person than about the subject.
“Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” — Wm. Shakespeare
( January 1st, 2007 at 9:19 pm )
Sawai — > I see what you mean. Text messaging is almost the same, sine it’s not face to face, and thus open to lots of conclusions and interpretations. =\
Ally — > Good point about flame wars. Thanks for the example; that explains things more. Thanks for the nice comment also.
RIck — > Interesting point.