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Taking things literally, or not

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SamwiseGamgee
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31 Jul 2010, 5:18 pm

I purposely take things literally a lot of the time to be funny, and people tell me I have a dry sense of humour because of it. I love the tree swing for rent, that's something I would laugh at as well. It was just weird with the mom/chocolate thing because I wasn't doing it for a joke, but I knew she was joking. It just seemed really contradictory and I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this.

Maybe one day I'll learn that no matter what I post on here there will always be someone who will post in agreement. So far it hasn't ceased to amaze me.

mikey1138 wrote:
Where are we "taking" these things? j/k
LOL I knew someone would do that joke. Still, it made me laugh.

And Willard, great response. I do that too sometimes to people I don't like. :lol:


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League_Girl
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31 Jul 2010, 7:08 pm

I often don't take things literal on purpose because I know that is like crying wolf. If I did it too much, then people are going to think I am doing it intentionally if I take something literal unintentionally. I don't think it's a good idea for us aspies to be doing it. I have taken things literal on purpose just to piss off trolls however. So when they insult me about it, their words are meaningless. Hey they got trolled by me. :P

I have answered questions when I full well knew the person was joking or may have been joking. I don't know why I do it. Same as answering rhetorical questions.



Surya
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31 Jul 2010, 7:58 pm

OP. I do both of those things, everyone things I am crazy for not eating chocolate like a 'normal' person..

katzefrau wrote:
occasionally when someone is joking i recognize it straight off but find it unfunny and am annoyed that they are not saying something serious.

Same way a LOT of the time..

LK wrote:
One example was when some acquaintances jokingly told me they had given my phone number to a male that was infatuated with me. This person was very forward with his flirting and did not seem to understand that I was not interested. Because of his insistent advances when we had to be around each other in person, I was quite concerned that he would bombard my cell phone with calls and messages. Part of me figured they would not violate my privacy so much by giving out my phone number without my permission, but most of me took it seriously and considered smacking the main joker. When I look back on it, I do actually find it a little funny. :roll:


Sounds like you knew some people I used to know.

Had the same thing happen - at a pub - my 'friends' told me that they gave some guy we kinda all knew there (in that town) my info - I stood up, poured my pint over ones head.. (the one that told me and 'gave' the person my info) and walked out. Drove back to where we actually lived. Four hours away. My vehicle and they had been my passengers.
Oops.. sometimes it just is not good to joke with me.

Willard wrote:
I use this tendency just to annoy people. I know damn well what they mean, but insist on taking it literally just to frustrate them for not being better at stating things more clearly. Say what you mean and mean what you say, dammit. They don't always find it so funny, but little kids get it. :P


That is just evil!

I <3 it



SuperTrouper
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31 Jul 2010, 8:11 pm

marshall wrote:
It isn't that I don't know when someone is joking. It happens because I don't know how to respond appropriately.


That's often my problem, too. I get that it was supposed to be a joke, but I only know how to respond as if it were literal. Sigh.



DogDaySunrise
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31 Jul 2010, 8:23 pm

SuperTrouper wrote:
marshall wrote:
It isn't that I don't know when someone is joking. It happens because I don't know how to respond appropriately.


That's often my problem, too. I get that it was supposed to be a joke, but I only know how to respond as if it were literal. Sigh.


QFT. This is very often how I'm forced to respond. Like someone above said, there's a part of the brain which says No, look more closely into this statement, but by then it's already been filed under Genuine Intention. Even when I recognise that it's some kind of parallel, I find myself continuing to respond in the literal sense as if it's already a given and can't switch modes easily to admit my mistake.