Oops. Did I Cross A Line?
Hey, it’s me again. Your friendly neighborhood overthinker who writes these so you can borrow my lessons instead of learning them the hard way. Let’s talk about something we’ve all said before. “I didn’t mean it like that.” You probably said it with genuine confusion or even a little frustration. Because in your head, the intention was harmless. A small joke that shouldn’t have become…this. And now someone is quiet, or upset, or giving you that look that says something landed badly. S uddenly you’re standing there defending yourself like a lawyer in court. “ I didn’t mean it like that.” “You’re misunderstanding me.” “You know that’s not what I meant.” And maybe you’re right. The tricky part about being human is that intention and impact are not the same. You might have meant it lightly but they might have felt it deeply . You dismiss your partner’s worry about something that matters to them; maybe telling them, “You’re overthinking it, it’s fine.” To you, it’s reassurance ...