Friday, October 9, 2009

Insta-Regrets

Does anyone else have the same affliction as me? I walk away from encounters (in person, on the phone, anything) and have instant-regrets about what I said. It's not so much that I said anything unkind, but that I didn't say any of the things I had thought or intended to say. It's rare that I don't end a conversation thinking "Oh, shoot, I was going to tell her that I liked her haircut" or "Oh, man, I totally forgot to congratulate him on his new job" or something like that. Even with my closest friends, I feel like an idiot because I tense up and sound completely unlike what I'm thinking or feeling. I often think of calling the person right back and going "Hey, remember 2 minutes ago when you said that thing about _____? I know I just said 'Ok, cool' but what I meant was 'I totally agree with you, I've thought the same thing, and I think that would be a great idea. Maybe add butter for a richer consistency.'" Maybe that last sentence is case specific, but you get the idea.

3 comments:

  1. I think a little bit of butter can improve any situation.

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  2. I try to make up for that problem by saying everything that comes to my mind, always thinking, "this will make it so that I truly express myself to people".
    This usually results in me saying things that sound like insults... Basically this is just a lose-lose situation.

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  3. See, yeah, that's the thing! I used to say everything that came to mind, but then I kept insulting people, which I regretted later. So over the years, in an attempt to not say regrettable things, I've switched so far in the other direction that I don't even say neutral things the right way. It's total nonsense.

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