northern_light_girl
Snowy Owl
Joined: Mar 29, 2008
Posts: 156
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 Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject: What have you taken literally and it got you into trouble? |
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For example, did you ask a genuine question about a delicate topic, thinking it is ok to ask it out loud (innocently)...and you were shocked that people laughed or became angry? Or did you hear someone say something ( a metaphor or a joke) and you took it literally?
I don't know if this was asked before. |
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MrMark
Abstract Data Type
Joined: Jul 04, 2006
Age: 54
Posts: 10291
Location: Tallahassee, FL
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| Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't get in trouble but...
One day at work Reggie says to me, "Mark, holler back there at Jesse for me." Without giving it a second thought, or a first one, I hollered back there at Jesse. Everybody laughed. Reggie said, "Geez Mark, I coulda done that!" Jesse came and tried to feign indignation and said, "Dont' ever do that again!" but he couldn't say it with a straight face.
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Jeyradan
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 17, 2008
Posts: 514
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| Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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People have started conversation lines that I didn't realize weren't to be continued, and I continued (asking a question, adding a comment, furthering a discussion or joke). I've been rebuffed many times, either with silence, or with an instruction ("not at dinner," "I don't want to talk about it," etc.).
I don't understand why it's okay to start something but not to continue it. And if it's not something one wants to talk about, then why bring it up?
Also, I take sarcasm and jokes literally, which often results in my doing something I didn't need to do (I suppose it'd be good practical joke fodder) or feeling slighted when it wasn't meant and responding to my interpretation. I do this more often than the first, and I constantly hear ,"yeah, that's what I meant," or "I was joking," or I have to ask whether or not something is a joke.
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Aspie_for_the_Lord
Cognito Ergo Proctor
Joined: Aug 18, 2006
Posts: 3663
Location: Bristol, England
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| Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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Uhmmm....
when i was in Primary School, our teacher brought in her beloved chldhood stuffed white bunny rabbit...
and she said to us "no children, im going out of the room for 5 minutes, while im away i want you to paint the bunny rabbit"
needless to say, i went at it with gusto...
anyway, five minutes later i hear a shreak coming from the door to the classroom, i turn to see my horrified teacher screaming, and i like, look between the teacher, the rabbit and my brush....several times, then twig that the other children are using paper......................
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i am that which i am... |
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Brittany2907
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Joined: Jun 10, 2007
Age: 21
Posts: 4920
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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One of the school bullies at my old high school dropped their packet of buscuits and they fell everywhere. I was close when it happened and laughed.
The bully said..."Are you laughing at me!?" (it actually meant "stop laughing at me or i'll hurt you!".
I said..."Yes i'm laughing,".
Needless to say, I spent most of that lunch break hiding in a toilet stall so I didn't get my head punched.
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Animals = Friends. |
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Trugen
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 12, 2008
Posts: 629
Location: What is Perceived as Your Reality
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| Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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When my best friend says things i get upset, and she says "I'M NOT BEING SARCASTIC, IS IT REALLY THAT HARD TO TELL"
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GodsWonder
Raven
Joined: May 27, 2008
Posts: 102
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:15 am Post subject: One thing |
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| Last year in HS my english teacher was joking around with me and I didn't know it. He sarcastically accused me of doing something I didn't do; I freaked and started yelling at him and I was really mad. He them told me that he said it sarcastically and that it was a joke. I disagreed and then I felt really bad for blowing up at him. I would have to say that this was my worst experience of taking sarcasm literally. |
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tailfins1959
Deinonychus
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Joined: Apr 07, 2008
Posts: 345
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Years ago back in University one of the professors had the habit of using lots of rhetorical questions in his lecture. I answered them all. One day he stopped class, glared at me and said "Will you shut up?!"
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Last edited by tailfins1959 on Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Zane
Velociraptor
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Age: 27
Posts: 472
Location: Tempe, Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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I have the nickname Captain Obvious. Let's leave it at that 
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Xenon
Mutant Space Bug
Joined: Feb 10, 2006
Posts: 1708
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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I remember once my grade six teacher lecturing me about something or other (I forget what), and he ended it by telling that I had better "pull up my socks". So, I did exactly that: I reached down and pulled up my socks.
He went ballistic.
I wound up in the principal's office, having no idea why. I also remember the principal trying to explain to me that when the teacher told me to pull up my socks, it was just an expression, and that he didn't mean that I should actually pull up my socks...
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Neurotypical
Butterfly
Joined: Jun 09, 2008
Age: 21
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Xenon wrote: | I remember once my grade six teacher lecturing me about something or other (I forget what), and he ended it by telling that I had better "pull up my socks". So, I did exactly that: I reached down and pulled up my socks.
He went ballistic.
I wound up in the principal's office, having no idea why. |
Well, you probably already know the reason, but in any case, did he know you had Asperger's? Your teacher is conditioned to assume that everyone is NT, and so they understand idioms and expressions. Unfortunately, when a student wants to make their teacher irritated or challenge their authority, one of the best ways to do it is taking things literally on purpose. In your case it was not on purpose, obviously, but he didn't know that...
It's unfortunate for people with Aperger's, but when you take idioms literally, NT people tend to think you're making fun of them. |
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Norah_W
Deinonychus
Joined: Apr 30, 2007
Posts: 326
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject: Re: What have you taken literally and it got you into troubl |
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| northern_light_girl wrote: | For example, did you ask a genuine question about a delicate topic, thinking it is ok to ask it out loud (innocently)...and you were shocked that people laughed or became angry? Or did you hear someone say something ( a metaphor or a joke) and you took it literally?
I don't know if this was asked before. |
When my mom passed away when I was 11, after the funeral there was a gathering at my aunt's house. After the gathering my dad and I were at home and he mentioned so-and-so having brought various "dishes" to the gathering, meaning food. I'm sure I heard the expression before and knew what it meant, but for some reason I thought he meant "dishes" literally, casserole dishes or whatever, not the dish+food inside. I asked him about this, and he said "Poor dumb Mary Lou" which was my name then (I changed it as an adult to Norah). Of course he was grieving about my mom, but still. I must have done other things like that, even though I never thought I had a problem of misundertanding things particularly. |
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Gifted-Monster
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 13, 2008
Age: 24
Posts: 578
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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A friend told me to bite him.
So I did.
Another thing was...In my history class, the teacher handed out lollipops. We were makin a lot of noise so she told us to shut up and suck. I replied, "Isn't that what the catholic priests say?"
She still can't think about that and keep a straight face.
Regards
Ashley
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aphonos
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: May 25, 2008
Age: 32
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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I would sometimes get distracted in school, particularly in maths class which I found hilarious. Things were always worded in a way that the other pupils understood perfectly but that was absolute nonsense to me. One day while explaining what was so amusing to the girl next to me, the teacher said "Would you like to stand up and tell the whole class what is so amusing?" Of course I was happy to  It was explained to me later that apparently that's not what the teacher meant. |
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