Dropping hints.
Again, my head is off in the outer limits where the ozone thins and this might be one of those weirdo (I’m a creep/I’m a weirdo) kinds of subjects to try and hold a discussion around, but I have my personal reasons for asking about people and communicating in hints.
It seems like I am feeling like I missed essential core classes on how to perceive a hint. I will readily admit that I just don’t pick up on them as well as most folks, and conversations by way of hints almost always go over my head. Back in high school, I was that guy who if you liked me, you would eventually have to buy off a friend to come over to me and say something along the lines of: “You know? I think Jane really likes you.” I would respond with something idiotic along the lines of: “Well, I really like Jane too. She’s really a nice person.”
Cue the palm upside the occipital region of the back of my skull, which would then elicit an OW! quickly followed by a “Ohhhhh. Jane liiiikes me.”
As I said, I am pretty oblivious when it comes to hints, whether it is flirting or, I don’t know, household chores. Roommate: “It would be nice is someone took care of the dishes while I was working.” Nine hours later: “You didn’t do the dishes?” Me: “Huh?”
Yeah, I’m a idiot. I know this.
Part of it is that I often just don’t make the connection (although rarely as bad as the previous example; I’m not a complete idiot, just mostly one). The other part would relate to the first example. Maybe I kinda liked Jane too, but always felt like she was out of my league. Or from different sport entirely. In those cases, it is easier to not take a hint and be wrong than it is to take the hint and be wrong. I was willing to put up with the cranial jog in order to not have to lose face by taking a hint wrong.
One thing I’ve noticed in our digital age is the extremes. As a society, we are both far more explicit with our messaging and we are much less forthcoming in areas where we might suffer from embarrassments. Instead of a friend coming up and pointing out Jane likes a guy, she’ll have the same person give a digital poke with zero explanation. Not even the “Jane likes you” information. Another friend might take it upon themselves without Jane knowing and send a text message that drill down to the gory details about what Jane would like from you (in four-part harmony and 8×10 glossy pictures with a description on the back of each one).
But, aside from my sad and pathetic (pathetique?) attempts at adding comedy to your daily routine, I am curious to find out if you think we tend to communicate more directly or indirectly these days? Or both, depending on the circumstances?
Are you noticing any trends along these lines as well? Or am I just plain clueless as ever?
If you really want to be adventuresome, hit me with your best shot at hinting something to me in the comments. For science. Or silliness. See if you can trip me up even when I know there is a high likelihood that someone is trying to communicate indirectly with me. I promise you, I’ll probably miss it.
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