zehydra said:
People sometimes think that because I'm quiet around them, that I hate them. I will never understand that one.
Same here. Also, my default facial expression is such that even when I feel like I'm smiling, it's not always clear that I am to anyone else. Those who know me can tell, but many who don't tend to assume I'm an unpleasant fellow.
But that doesn't drive me crazy, it just makes it a little harder to make new friends.
The most annoying assumptions I regularly run into are those where I agree or disagree with a minor point in whatever topic is under discussion, and people assume that I'm a hard-line champion for whatever "side" is most associated with holding or not holding that point.
For example, if say that the outcry over gun violence is out of proportion with the harm it does relative to other sources of harm, people assume I'm a gun-loving NRA member. If I say that the fear of rape has reached levels where some are being paranoid about it and run the risk of discrediting those who are trying to address the problem, I am accused of blaming the victims and writing it off as Not A Problem.
There is such a thing as nuance. I vote democrat but dislike some things democrats do and like some things that republicans do. I like my country but dislike some of the things it has done. I'm an atheist but have no problem making friends with religious people. I think global warming is real and try not to have more of an impact than I have to, but view a lot of environmental activists with contempt for their own misuse of science and propaganda. I try to eat healthy foods but think the organic craze is practically a scam.
The world is complex, people are complex, and the issues that they deal with are complex. I think our discussions could be more productive if we stopped pretending this wasn't the case.