Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
I get told that I am blunt often. Now I am wondering if it is people meaning to say I am mean but not knowing how to do it and not "hurt" my feelings.
I never really took it as them possibly meaning that I am mean until this thread although I wish people would say, "That sounded mean!" so I could let them know that I did NOT intend it that way. I never intend to be mean.
Ah, self reflection. It is constant thing. 
Yes, the continual cycle of self-reflection.
I think my son had issues because it hurt his feeling when others thought he was being mean (and hurting their feelings) and coupled with the fact he took everything others said very personally made social exchanges hard for him.
Now, it seems he prefaces almost everything he says with some form of
"Don't take this the wrong way..." or
"I don't mean this rudely" or some version of a "pre-apology" just in case others misinterpret his intentions.
Makes me sad that he feels he has to "correct" himself before he even says anything.
