There is an endless tendency to dribble forth with what you probably should NOT say. To anyone. Then there are those who pontificate on what not to say, as the PhD Robert Leahy did in "What NOT to Say When Someone is Depressed"
Dear Dr. Leahy, I am a poor lowly psych major. I mean this literally and figuratively. That said, I am not anywhere near the hallowed halls of "Doctors of Psychiatry."
BUT: even I know, because I have that nasty habit of accidentally getting myself in trouble when I comfort someone, that saying "It makes sense that you feel that way, given how you're looking at the situation" is a BIG NO-NO! Why not just tell me, "Honey, I care, but your sobbing is driving me nuts and I can't hear the game"? Or: "Well, you can just stop that right now."
Dear Dr. Leahy, have you ever dealt with depression, yourself? Or, did you just learn about it from books? Look, a depressed person has a habit of digging in very deep. They'll hear that as "You feel that way, but your outlook is wrong. Come now, stiff upper lip!" I am deeply worried that if someone ever said that to me, they would be very much in danger of failed testicular health. As in, taking a white orchid and turning it blue, as it were. I mean females too, it must take balls of iron to try that bit of advice!
Dear Dr. Leahy, I will conclude this and pray for forgiveness for wanting to lodge my size 7 narrow into your more sensitive parts.
I think you're an incompetent babboon. And it makes sense that I'd feel that way, given how I'm seeing things. Huh. You might be onto something.
BUT: even I know, because I have that nasty habit of accidentally getting myself in trouble when I comfort someone, that saying "It makes sense that you feel that way, given how you're looking at the situation" is a BIG NO-NO! Why not just tell me, "Honey, I care, but your sobbing is driving me nuts and I can't hear the game"? Or: "Well, you can just stop that right now."
Dear Dr. Leahy, have you ever dealt with depression, yourself? Or, did you just learn about it from books? Look, a depressed person has a habit of digging in very deep. They'll hear that as "You feel that way, but your outlook is wrong. Come now, stiff upper lip!" I am deeply worried that if someone ever said that to me, they would be very much in danger of failed testicular health. As in, taking a white orchid and turning it blue, as it were. I mean females too, it must take balls of iron to try that bit of advice!
Dear Dr. Leahy, I will conclude this and pray for forgiveness for wanting to lodge my size 7 narrow into your more sensitive parts.
I think you're an incompetent babboon. And it makes sense that I'd feel that way, given how I'm seeing things. Huh. You might be onto something.
No comments:
Post a Comment