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This article hopes to encourage you to stick to the first two options if faced with the decision, and not select to speak implicitly or indirectly.
A bad social habit is one of hinting at painful truths but not willing to say them directly and in full. On the journey where our thoughts turn into words, ideas get compressed and edited. While on their way from our mind into the world, we sometimes realize our blunt ideas wouldn’t sound so good being voiced into the world around us. The setting plays a role in whether our ideas would sound good unedited, but there are some ideas which are not appropriate to voice under most circumstances.
The thinker is therefore left with limited options to expel their good, but perhaps blunt ideas into the world around them. They can speak them as they are, without holding anything back, and face the consequences of those words. They can choose to not voice them at all. Or they can choose to say what they think in ways which are not explicit or direct.
Misinterpretation
Complete ownership of your ideas and words will improve you as an individual. Should you select the option to voice your harsh truths without holding back, you’ll recognize the consequences for our words which we’re all governed by. You’ll learn the lessons of answering for your own words and actions, and will utilize that knowledge to drive your decisions into the future.
People who hint at certain truths without expressing them full on, attempt to rid themselves of answering to the consequences of saying the full, unadulterated truth. They may get away with not answering for spreading a specific truth into the world, but they fail to learn the lessons contained in being explicit and direct. They will have a skewed sense of what they can project into the world without facing any form of consequence, and their social comfort zone will become misaligned.
As they get into the habit of subtly hinting at harsh truths without saying them outright, they make themselves susceptible to their listeners’ interpretation of their words. Hinting at certain things relies on the listener to connect the dots and fill in the missing gaps. If the listener fails to do so correctly, they will misinterpret what the speaker said.
By hinting at certain truths, you become vulnerable to others’ interpretation. No matter what your rebuttal to their incorrect interpretation may be, their initial interpretation will hold precedent. Arguing the meaning behind your words is difficult when others have interpreted your words in their own way first. They will perceive you to be arguing only to save face, not for the sake of true meaning behind your implicit dialogue.
Encouraging Implicit Communication in Others
Have you ever argued someone in the confines of your mind in anticipation of an argument taking place in real life? Often times, these mental arguments are nothing more than a series of paranoid thoughts coagulating into an anxious eruption inside our mind. Attempting to implicitly send messages through your communication with others taps into the same paranoid aspects of others’ intuition. When you leave room for interpretation, assume that your listener will resort to interpreting your words and actions in a negative way. Striving to win is central to our nature, and striving not to be a victim is next in line. Attempting to hint at painful truths without expressing them outright will encourage your listeners to protect themselves from what you could’ve meant or implied.
You’ll encourage internal dialogue within others if you choose to shy away from the consequences of expressing yourself clearly and directly. Though it may not seem like a big deal, when the subject matter is important, any misinterpretation and overreaction should be avoided at all cost. Prepare yourself to talk about important things in life. Prepare yourself to be a leader, and a person who others turn to in order to make good decisions. Misinterpretation will hurt your cause, so stay away from it and limit it to the best of your ability.
The consequences you face for being direct with your ideas and words will shape your mind. Consequences exist for a reason, and you should allow them to shape your ability to express yourself. Do not fear consequences when you are expressing yourself, but you should take them into consideration for the next time that you speak. Allow the consequences for your words to shape you into someone who learns to speak directly while avoiding punishment. It is a skill not many master, but which many try to cheat their way toward by masking their ideas with implicit dialogue filled with hints they hope others unravel.