"You have to read my mind", (an excuse for not explaining things properly, or can we read what others are thinking sometimes?)!

grahamg

Old codger
My father used the say "You have to read my mind" to us when there was some job on the farm or something like that we were struggling to understand, or asking "darn fool questions" about, and I think I know what he meant.

Sometimes no matter how anyone tries, explanations dont always cut the mustard, and folks have to find out whatever it is for themselves, or weigh up better the little pieces of information you have been given!

Can you "read minds", I guess to an extent a couple who know one another might very well know what their partner may say or do in certain situations, so could fairly claim to have read their minds, and maybe some do have insights of this kind(?).

What do you think, (or shall I have to read your minds to find out?)? :unsure::whistle::sneaky::);)
 

Last edited:
Can you "read minds", I guess to an extent a coupe who know one another might very well know what their partner my say or do in certain situations, so could failry claim to have read their minds, and maybe some do have insights of this kind(?).
I was sitting here trying to figure out what the hell you were talking about with a car knowing what somebody was thinking. :unsure:

I just woke up. :ROFLMAO:
 

I think too often people make assumptions and believe that is what someone meant... Or twist what the original persons intention or thought was.
Some people are not very good at relating what they have in mind ......and when others assume (read their minds lol) it does not go well, IMO.
I ask for those folks to rephrase what their thought was so I do not make an error in assuming.

There are those rare occasions that perhaps a person and partner are in tune and can anticipate what the other is / might be thinking....
but that is also a quick way to an argument or misunderstandings.
 
I had a boss once that gave obscure directions on how to do something and then walked away without asking if I had any questions, leaving me trying to figure out what she wanted. Is that the kind of thing you're talking about?
 
Yes grahamg I was raised in a Norse family, where half the time we had to read each other's mind.
I think telepathy was a natural communication which was lost over eons of time.
I think this builds strong thought. My Dad and I had entire conversations with telepathy!
 
I'm rather old so my time is one of my most valuable possessions. I try not to waste it on useless/frustrating endeavors like trying to figure out what someone is trying to say. I often wonder the purpose of vague or nonsensical statements presented in a serious manner.

I love statements or questions that leads to a good civil pro/con dialogue about an interesting subject but see few anymore. JMHO
 
Reading another person's mind is quite difficult, because we don't know what the other person is truly thinking, do we, unless they say out loud to us what they are thinking. Even then, people do not always say exactly what they were thinking. They might say something else so they don't hurt the other person's feelings, or they might lie to get away from having to tell the truth. So this is a complicated question you ask.

When I was married, I tried to read my late husband's mind, and it was not that easy. Yes, we did get into patterns of living, so we knew what the other person would do next. But when it was a difficult decision to make or when we were in an argument, that is when I realized I couldn't read his mind (he probably couldn't read mine either!). By talking out loud, we were able to communicate our thoughts, and that helped a lot. There are subconscious thoughts at work, and until we bring them out into the open, we ourselves often don't know what we were thinking.
 
We're not as complicated as we like to think we are. So anyone who knows us very well knows what is going on. We're predictable.
 
Reading another person's mind is quite difficult, because we don't know what the other person is truly thinking, do we, unless they say out loud to us what they are thinking. Even then, people do not always say exactly what they were thinking. They might say something else so they don't hurt the other person's feelings, or they might lie to get away from having to tell the truth. So this is a complicated question you ask.

When I was married, I tried to read my late husband's mind, and it was not that easy. Yes, we did get into patterns of living, so we knew what the other person would do next. But when it was a difficult decision to make or when we were in an argument, that is when I realized I couldn't read his mind (he probably couldn't read mine either!). By talking out loud, we were able to communicate our thoughts, and that helped a lot. There are subconscious thoughts at work, and until we bring them out into the open, we ourselves often don't know what we were thinking.
100% agree! :)
 
We're not as complicated as we like to think we are. So anyone who knows us very well knows what is going on. We're predictable.
There's a famous song with the lyric, "We're not as complicated as we like to think we are", isn't there, or something like that, "perhaps someone can read my mind and tell me the name of the song and performer I'm referring to"! :)
 
I'm rather old so my time is one of my most valuable possessions. I try not to waste it on useless/frustrating endeavors like trying to figure out what someone is trying to say. I often wonder the purpose of vague or nonsensical statements presented in a serious manner.
I love statements or questions that leads to a good civil pro/con dialogue about an interesting subject but see few anymore. JMHO
You don't like "nonsense" then, (can't blame you for that!)!!! :)
 
Yes grahamg I was raised in a Norse family, where half the time we had to read each other's mind.
I think telepathy was a natural communication which was lost over eons of time.
I think this builds strong thought. My Dad and I had entire conversations with telepathy!
You're pulling my leg, but no worries, (much appreciated in fact! :) ).
 
There's a song by Avril Lavigne (love her) titled 'Complicated'
"Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else
Gets me frustrated"
 
People who are too lazy to explain what they want probably won't get what they want. Yours truly, Captain Obvious
Yes but, (there's always a "BUT!), my dad was no fool, and not only did he tell us to read his mind, (which could have meant we needed to understand his words better, or think harder).

He also told us to read the minds of the sheep or cattle on the farm, so we'd know their next move when we were attempting to move them from one field to another, (again shorthand for "watching their eyes closely, and by doing so the sheep knew you were paying attention, and were less likely to be able to escape easily"!). :)
 
I had a boss once that gave obscure directions on how to do something and then walked away without asking if I had any questions, leaving me trying to figure out what she wanted. Is that the kind of thing you're talking about?
Yep, pretty much, (with the exception laid out concerning my dear old dad! :). ).
 
I think too often people make assumptions and believe that is what someone meant... Or twist what the original persons intention or thought was.
Some people are not very good at relating what they have in mind ......and when others assume (read their minds lol) it does not go well, IMO.
I ask for those folks to rephrase what their thought was so I do not make an error in assuming.

There are those rare occasions that perhaps a person and partner are in tune and can anticipate what the other is / might be thinking....
but that is also a quick way to an argument or misunderstandings.
Good assessment I'd say, (once again I'm 100% in agreement with this post too! :) ).
 
No, nonsense is fine, just as long as it is clearly identified as 'nonsense' and not just meant to baffle/confuse.
Quite a tortuous path for anyone to follow I'd suggest, especially me, and I'd have to run everything past you just to be sure I wasn't straying from the "straight and narrow", wouldn't I, but who knows, (I'll accept you know more about nonsense than I then shall I? :sneaky:).
 
Yes but, (there's always a "BUT!), my dad was no fool, and not only did he tell us to read his mind, (which could have meant we needed to understand his words better, or think harder).

He also told us to read the minds of the sheep or cattle on the farm, so we'd know their next move when we were attempting to move them from one field to another, (again shorthand for "watching their eyes closely, and by doing so the sheep knew you were paying attention, and were less likely to be able to escape easily"!). :)
I think that's fascinating that you had to read the minds of the sheep or cattle on the farm! I heard sheep are pretty dumb, though. Saw a video once where the young farmer rescued a sheep from a chasm in the ground, and the sheep ran off and ran right back into the chasm falling in. Now if it were your sheep, what would say it was thinking?!:p
 
There's a song by Avril Lavigne (love her) titled 'Complicated'
"Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else
Gets me frustrated"
Not sure I know that one, (will check it out though), but maybe the lyrics were not as I stated but something like, "You can thank your lucky stars I'm not he girl you'd like to think",.....?):

I'd got it into my head Carly Simon might have sung lyrics like that but as I can't find her doing so thought it might be worth posting another of hers:

 

Last edited:

Back
Top