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0 pointsgroestl3y ago0 comments

> the worst interpretation something someone says is accurate

Well, to give just a few examples:

* The worst interpretation of a sentence said by politicians is usually accurate

* In contractual law, the worst interpretation of a clause is the one you need to prepare for

* In advertising, the absolute worst interpretation of a phrase is usually accurate

* If you get a letter of recommendation, the worst interpretation is the intended one

So you adapt to this world.

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3 comments · 2 top-level

dbspin3y ago· 1 in thread

All of those things have been true at least since the dawn of mass media in the early 20th century. I'm speaking about intergenerational change, and interpersonal interactions. Perhaps the difference is that we all now exist as though on the public stage. Either way, perceiving everyday interactions in that way is dispiriting and closes you off from people with different experiences and perspectives. It can make your everyday life - rather than just your online existence - a rigid, carefully managed echo-chamber.

groestlOP3y ago

> Perhaps the difference is that we all now exist as though on the public stage

Ah yeah, true! So basically now we're kind of forced into reading everything, even when it's private, as some kind of press release.

TheCleric3y ago

Also code. The worst possible thing that can happen in code will be the thing that inevitably happens and with much more frequency than anticipated.

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