Fictionlet
“You know what I hate?” said Greg. “I hate it when you’re talking about one thing, but the person you’re talking to thinks you’re talking about something else, and they get all upset about what they think you said about that thing, but you were really talking about the other thing and would completely agree with you about that thing.”
“Uh,” said Brigid.
“And so then they’re all upset, and then you get all upset because you can’t figure out why they’re upset and suddenly you’re having this giant argument because they misunderstood you but you don’t know that and so the two of you go ’round in circles getting more and more confused and more and more upset.”
Brigid blinked.
Greg waved his arms, working himself into a frenzy. “And then you eventually figure out that the two of you were talking about two different things and you can totally see why they might think you were talking about the other thing even though it never even occurred to you that what you were actually talking about could be taken to be about that other thing; but of course by then the damage is done and you’re both mad at each other and your whole friendship is gone out the window. I hate that!”
“Yeah?” said Brigid. “I hate it when people try to complain about something that’s happened to them but are all coy about it and couch it in generalized terms instead of specifically referencing what the hell they’re talking about.”
Greg nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “That sucks too.”
-The Gneech
