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Notes -
slightly offtopic - I was writing a response to this video (which I don't recommend watching), but the response can be succintly summarized as:
That video is infuriating because he almost gets it. He describes the rake in excruciating detail, elucidates exactly why and how people step on that rake, and then, with great pomp and ceremony but zero self-awareness, proceeds to step on the rake himself.
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Its probably a top 3 pet peeve of internet discourse for me.
Its the "So you hate Waffles?" issue.
People will aggressively impute thoughts and motives to the speaker and then draw conclusions about their words that wildly diverge from the simplest interpretation of the sentences.
Then attack them on that basis, which instantly derails any communication that might have been possible.
I spent a LONG time learning how to write as directly and clearly as possible (within the constraints of the English language) and it still happens to me.
That said, in day-to-day communications, reading between the lines or recognizing when someone IS motivated to manipulate you is a useful skill, so its not like its 'wrong' to try to parse someone's words like that.
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