Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

For the record, if I ever say anything that sounds hurtful, offensive, or especially closed-minded, please call me out on it, because I probably don't intend for it to sound that way. I've got strong opinions about a few things—I'll rag on movies and video games that annoy me, and I'll speak my piece about processes and organizations that I feel don't work well—but when it comes to individuals, the last thing I want is to inflict verbal harm. It tears me up inside to walk away from a conversation on bad terms with the other party, and it's that much worse if whatever relationship I have with the person comes to an end because of something I've said.

We are humans—we make mistakes and we make decisions that others don't always approve of; we believe things and support things that others might disagree with. Please don't mistake my criticism of something you've done or something you think as an affront to your whole person. Likewise, please don't write me off because of one thing I've failed to express clearly, thoughtfully, or kindly.

I thrive on constructive criticism; let me know if I ever sound like I'm out of line. Otherwise, I can't explain myself if you're misinterpreting me, and you can't knock some sense into me if I'm being perfectly clear and utterly wrong. I value an open dialogue, no matter how differently we may view things or how upset we may be with each other, because you and I are so much more than the sum of the things we don't see eye-to-eye about.