[Malikarcanum]

In this thread, post what you really mean when you say something. Like a softer version of something so you don't hurt someone's feelings or cause conflict.



The first one that springs to mind is:

What I say: "Well, everybody's entitled to their opinion"
What I really mean: "Fuck off" (felt weird even typing this out)


What's yours

[WanderingThoughts]

What I say: "I'm really not sure how I feel right now."
What I mean: "I think I love you BUT WAIT I also don't want to yet because what if gosh I'm hungry what time is oh this song is awesome *sigh* why don't I hang out with people more often OMG DOCTOR WHO!!!!! Math, poems, Jesus; I accidentally my brain please help."

Of course, this is only a rough translation.

[Iustinus]

What I say: "I hope you feel better soon."
What I really mean: "You have no idea how much I wish you'd just talk to me. Let it out. You may think I won't 'get it.' No, I won't understand everything, but I'd understand a lot more than you'd estimate."

[Lesley Drakken]

What I say: "Yes, that's very nice."

What I mean: "Bug off I want to be alone"

[WardRhiannon]

Someone: "Do you have anything else to say?"
Me: "Not really."
My head: I don't want to talk anymore. My head is blank, but I'll think of something witty or awesome to say later and mentally slap myself.

Person: "How are you?"
Me: "Okay." or "Good."
My head: Nothing exciting in my life is happening at the moment. Everything is the same and I'm not in some kind of private existential/mood/future-oriented crisis that I'm eventually going to rant to someone about, so I don't need to say anything else.

Person: "Smile" or "Be more bubbly."
Me.
My head: "Fuck off."

[OrangeAppled]

I pretty much mean what I say most of the time. The issue is translating a non-verbal concept/thought into words. It's not even a matter of softening something... just trying to articulate it accurately with enough nuance to keep people from thinking I mean "fuck off" when I absolutely don't.

I read once there's a tendency for INFPs to keep adding words to clarify what they mean because accuracy of meaning is very important to them (generally speaking). I definitely so this; at least online. In person it can look like a nervous tangent. I've realized it can confuse people more too. I have to be conscious about eliminating details & what will look like random Ne stuff to others (but is very relevant to a complete big picture, to me) in order to make my points clear to others. I think this is inferior Te editing, which is why I really only access it when it feels very necessary (too much work).

So when I say, "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah", then I probably just mean "blah".

[Malikarcanum]

I do that all the time. I call it "verbal diarrhea".

[idntknw]

Person: "Penny for your thoughts?"
Me: "Just [insert what you see first here]."
Me in my head: "Why did he have to ask that? There is no way I am going to tell him what I am thinking now. Oh no, I think he is on to me. This is gonna be embarrassing. Oh good, he looked the other way. Wait...what was I thinking about?"

Person: "You don't want to know." (After having a conversation about it right next to me, I just so happened to realize they were talking at the very end of the conversation.)
What I want to say: "Yes, yes I do. You never tell me anything, and later on you are going to explain it anyway so just do it now. It is like you don't trust."

[Ardent Lunacy]

When I say "Have fun with that" I actually mean "I hope you die in progress". When I say "I'm fine" I actually mean "If I told you how I actually felt, you'd never leave me the fuck alone". When I say "Goodbye" I actually mean "I'll see you in Hell". When I say "I don't hate you" I actually really mean "I've tried to hate you, but I can't seem to muster enough fucks". When I say "I love you" I actually mean "I'm giving you free reign to ruin my life". Finally, when I say "Have a nice day" I actually mean "All glory to the Hypnotoad".

[idntknw]

This thread is going to ruin the INFP's-are-so-nice stereotype.