Words

I've had this problem my whole life, of being a smart mouth sarcastic bitch-faced woman, constantly misinterpreted by people I trust to understand me. And when they fall in with everyone else and take my words the wrong way, it hurts me to the core. I've been told not to overthink things, just to spit it out, and yet how can I do so when I get reactions like 'you didn't have to say that', and other suggestions that I was being mean. No one gets when I'm trying to tease. Apparently I'm not good at joking. It comes across as rudeness. I don't want to be mean to people. So I don't say anything at all. And we're back at square one.

If you really want someone to speak their mind, tell them so, but don't then make them feel bad for what comes out of their mouth unfiltered. They're trusting you to understand what they mean even when it comes out wrong. If you can't do that, don't put that pressure on them. It's not fair. They get to feel like shit all day for hurting someone when they didn't mean to, then doubt themselves and think maybe they are just a bitch after all and they're the problem. If you care about them, don't put them through that.