Thoughts on how I communicate

[redbird]

I've noticed that if I ask cattitude to repeat something, he will do so word-for-word, whereas if I'm asked "What?" I tend to assume that the problem was with the syntax or word choice, rather than on the auditory level, and will rephrase for attempted clarity. That's a good technique when I've gotten tangled in baroque sentence structures--there are things that work in writing but can be hard to follow when spoken--or left out pronoun references or other assumptions. It's counterproductive when the problem is that only some of the words have been heard. If you notice me doing this (not that we get to spend enough time together offline), please remind me that when you say "What?" you mean "Please repeat those words" rather than "Please rephrase that."

[This started as part of a response to tamiam, in a comment thread on elisem's journal. I'm repeating it here because other hearing-impaired people who talk to me may find the information useful, and maybe some people, whether or not they fit in that category, may find it interesting. And as a reminder to myself.]

Comments

[tamiam.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. I should remember (and not just get irritated) that people may not know what I mean by "What?" and/or they are just getting tired and irritated by hearing it. But, with the ones who are just refusing to answer me now, I wish, or maybe, they are, learning patience from this, because it doesn't look like it will go away, and it doesn't matter if I'm not wearing my hearing aide if they are on the wrong side for it to pick up what they just said, too.

I do have a lot less 'What's' in fannish circles, and hadn't thought about why that was before this. Also musicians and theater people seem to speak up and enunciate, or they are finishing the consonents of the words and not just mumbling the ends.