I am a literalist

I am a literalist. Most people are not literal. Most people speak in generalities and expect that people are going to understand them. I take people at what they say. And if they don't say it, then I don't think they have said it. And if they say something, I believe that they mean it.

You can take this any way you want. You can take it in a political sense. When I hear trump say that he is not going to let people die in the streets, then that's what he means. You can take it at the kitchen table. If I'm sitting there and I'm all quiet, it does not mean that I am angry. It just means that I have nothing to say. If anything, it means I'm happy and content with the flow of the conversation of the other people at the table. But, more than likely, it means that I have nothing to say.

I do not assume. I take people at their word. If they don't say something, I don't think they said it. If they say something, I take it for what it is. I do not assume because my wife is silent that she is mad at me. I don't assume that way. Yeah, sometimes assumptions cross my mind, but then I do my best to brush them off.

I truly believe that assuming does nothing but cause conflict. If see that I am silent all day and you make the assumption that I must be mad, then you're going to wonder what you did to make me mad. Then you might assume that I am mad because I didn't like what you cooked. Then you become mad at me based on this assumption. Now, I'm just making up a facetious example here to make the point that assuming causes conflict.

So it's better to live in the real world, to be literal, to not assume. It's better to be a literalist. It's not always easy, but it's better.