Whenever I write something, no matter the significance, from as small as a twitter post to as big as my novel, I chose my words very carefully. And I re-read them several times over before completely committing to them, trying to imagine all the ways those words could possibly be taken. I even re-read them several more times after they’re official just to make sure they still come across the way I intended them to.
It’s the same with speaking for me. I hate the idea of saying something and not being able to take it back so I better really mean it before it leaves my mind. And I’m not one to speak up about something factual unless I am 100% sure I know what I’m talking about. I say something over and over again to myself before I unleash it from my tongue. I even practice different scenarios in my head so that I know I’ll react properly should I be confronted with one of those situations.
Despite all this effort, I’m constantly reminded that no matter how cautious I am with the words I write or say, I can never truly predict the way someone will perceive and react to them. I often find myself wondering if there was something else I should have said, something to have garnered a different response, but I know it’s really just a waste of brain energy. People are going to view and react according to their own disposition. Nothing you did or didn’t say/write would have changed that.
Do any of you obsess about saying/writing the perfect words only to find yourself shocked by the reactions of those on the receiving end?