The Understanding Project
  • Logic
  • About
  • Author
  • Books

I Just Bought Antifreeze

11/1/2012

 
Believe it or not, there is a political point to be made here. Keep reading.

A little while ago I had my oil changed in my car. I had only had the car a few months and this was my first time taking it in. While this was happening, the mechanic mentioned my antifreeze was a bit low and asked if he could fill it. I had just checked all my fluids earlier that day and so I was aware of this, but I had already bought my own antifreeze from the gas station on the way because I had already planned on doing it myself when I got home. Not wanting him to fill it, I replied, “Oh, I know; I just bought some.”

The mechanic replied that if it was a new car and I had to fill the antifreeze/coolant already, it probably meant I had a leak. I said something about it being a used car and I didn’t know where the level was when I bought it, but I’m not sure he heard me. Afterwards, I discovered he had filled the antifreeze anyways and I wondered how he had misunderstood me. Why did he think it was a new car? What was it in what I told him that made him think the antifreeze was being used up quickly? Why did he fill it after I told him I already had some? I thought I made it clear I intended to do it myself. How did he misunderstand me so badly?

It was days later when it finally dawned on me. When I told him I had just bought some, he must have assumed that I also just put it in. After all, the two actions usually go together; he had no way of knowing I bought it on the way there and not days ago (I often use the word “just” to refer to days ago, as opposed to weeks ago). When I replied that I knew it was low, he must have assumed I was also saying I knew it was leaking. As for it being a “new car,” he must have meant it was new for me and assumed that the dealer would have given it to me full and without leaks. After thinking it over from his perspective, I realized that all his assumptions were reasonable and I could not blame him for any of his mistakes. So while I thought he had misunderstood me (and he did), I did not realize that I had misunderstood him. I didn’t have enough of an understanding of his state of mind at the time to communicate in an effective manner (and there was no way for me to have such an understanding at the time).

I think this is what sometimes happens in political discussions. Others misunderstand my positions, but I misunderstand the source and nature of their misunderstanding, so I continue to explain my position in different ways, but to no effect. Unfortunately, by the time I have an idea where things might have gone wrong, the conversation has been over for days. This is why The Understanding Project exists: to explore the possibilities of sources of misunderstanding in the political realm. Don’t give up.


Comments are closed.

    Author

    Hi, I'm Dan. I like chocolate, hiking, and politics.

    Archives

    November 2019
    April 2019
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    May 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    February 2012
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010

    Categories

    All
    Abortion
    Al Gore
    Anarchy
    Animals
    Ann Coulter
    Anti-Semitism
    Approval Rate
    Barack Obama
    Bias
    Bill Clinton
    Budget Deficit
    Bush Bashing
    Bush-Bashing
    Bush-bashing
    Capitalism
    Center
    Christmas
    Civility
    Code Words
    Coffee Parties
    Collectivism
    Compromise
    Conservative
    Constitution
    Court Rulings
    Culture
    Debate
    Democrats
    Dick Cheney
    Discrimination
    Donald Trump
    Drew Weston
    Economy
    Education
    Environment
    Eric Holder
    Euthanasia
    Experience
    Flag Burning
    France
    George W Bush
    Glenn Beck
    Global Warming
    Health Care
    Hillary Clinton
    Historical Narrative
    Holiday
    Homosexual
    Huffington Post
    Humor
    Hypocrisy
    Immigration
    Independent
    Insult
    Insurance
    Iraq
    Israel
    Jared Loughner
    Jimmy Buffet
    John Kerry
    John Mccain
    Jon Stewart
    Joseph Stark
    Journalism
    Judith Curry
    Julian Assange
    Koran
    Liberal
    Libya
    Marginalization
    Marketing
    Marriage
    Media
    Memes
    Mike Huckabee
    Military
    Mit Romney
    Monopoly
    National Debt
    Occupy Wall Street
    Osama Bin Laden
    Partisanship
    Political Spectrum
    Pragmatism
    Prejudice
    Privacy
    Psychology
    Rachel Maddow
    Racism
    Recession
    Religion
    Republicans
    Rights
    Rush Limbaugh
    Sarah Palin
    Sean Hannity
    Semantics
    Sex
    Sexism
    Socialism
    Sources
    State Rights
    State Secrets
    Stephen Colbert
    Suicide
    Taxes
    Tea Parties
    Term Limits
    Theory
    Tom Tancredo
    Torture
    Unions
    Van Jones
    Wikileaks

    RSS Feed

Please check out my books!

  • Logic
  • About
  • Author
  • Books