Say what you mean & Mean what you say - Or is it just me ??

I've long known that I'm very direct and blunt when I communicate, but didn't fully realise until my diagnosis that this is most likely due to my autism. Has anybody else had the same experience??

It not only baffles me, but it actually quite annoys me, when people don't say what they actually mean. I've now briefly read about the 'high-context' and 'low-context' cultures, and according to that, I really shouldn't be British !!

An extract from this says "We rely on nuance, tone and context to convey meaning. We rarely say exactly what we think. Avoiding conflict is a priority in British culture; directness is often seen as impolite or confrontational" 

It's bizarre to me that what people say, particularly in response to on-the-spot questions, is often not what they really mean or think.

I have struggled with this difference for many many years, but perhaps now it can start to make more sense ??!!

Parents
  • No it's not just you.

    I actually said in my assessment:

    'Why can't people say what they mean and mean what they say'.

    As communication difficulties are a major part of diagnosis it's not surprising that we struggle when people aren't straightforward in their speech.

    Interesting topic. I hadn't known about the context cultures.

    Thank you for sharing. 

Reply
  • No it's not just you.

    I actually said in my assessment:

    'Why can't people say what they mean and mean what they say'.

    As communication difficulties are a major part of diagnosis it's not surprising that we struggle when people aren't straightforward in their speech.

    Interesting topic. I hadn't known about the context cultures.

    Thank you for sharing. 

Children
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