Misconceptions

[Magus]

[color=gray]With all the stereo-typing going around these days, and I read Vicky's post in the [b]What grinds your gears thread v2[/b]. What are some of the misconceptions people have about you?

I have a tendency to stay quiet at times, (I was always the quiet type in school.) and people would think that I'm shy, angry or sick, but mainly shy. Truth be told, I'm none of them. When I'm quiet, I just don't be in the mood to talk, or I'm holding myself back from saying something that might hurt your feelings.

And this is probably my fault since I normally just let people go on and on about some random topic that I don't care to blab about. I listen to / observe people talk about themselves, or some random topic, and people think that I need to give my opinion, or think that I care to hear there opinions. If I don't ask you for your opinion, what makes you think I care about what you think?

When I start being sarcastic people think I'm mean and rude when these same people causes the sarcastic comments by not using common sense. Especially those who've been around me for a long time.[/color]

[Juu]

[size=1]According to peers, I have a really cold exterior. I seem serious and elitist, and partially they're right. I do have a very pessimistic outlook on people and find it rather difficult to trust people enough to invest relations with.

But actually I'm really silly and not serious at all. I'm easy-going and I laugh a lot more at myself than anything else. I make corny jokes about everything and tell my friends to chill out and give themselves a break.

Teachers/elders, on the other hand, usually don't fancy me at first. I don't dress like a straight-edge kid (everything's black), I'm in a band, they see me smoking cigarettes (which, after three years, I've quit since last week), I don't sit up half the time in classes, I groan about the homework, show up late, never admit to studying, etc.

But as soon as we get a writing assignment and actually listen to the questions I'm asking, I become their favourite and they trust me. Certain teachers take longer than others. Some never get past my image. But I like speaking to teachers between classes because they're older. They've seen a lot more and some of them are actually passionate about what they teach and have a lot of contagious passion to ignite in me as well. I have a lot of respect for those teachers and I keep in touch with them and spoil them with gifts.

In the end, though, it's all about compatibility. If someone's judgment holds them back from getting to know me, I've learnt that it's best to shrug it off, figure they're missing out (at least, rather than the other way around), and forget about them. I don't have any enemies because of that mentality. Even with former friends, we just realise our differences over time and drift away/cut off the relationship. People who decide to make assumptions about me before they get to know me, I never care much about, so I never hear what they say about me. They can talk all they want because what they think they know isn't of any importance to what I am. [/size]

[Andy]

[FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="2"]There have been a few misconceptions where people believed I am somewhat of a shy person. Although thats' usually only around people that really don't know me that well, or where I'm meeting them for the first time.Anyway's, it's usually when I'm slightly pissed off, or I'm just not in a really happy mood. Generally in these cases I tend to squint my eye's slightly as to somewhat resemble Clint Eastwood, and I usually won't say much. But despite being like that every now and then, i'm generally a happy, goofy, everyday guy.:p[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"]The biggest misconception I seem to run into is that I'm intimidating. How I manage that when I'm not quite five feet tall is beyond me. But I suppose it has to do with being a bit on the blunt side. I'll be doing things with my friends, like getting together and playing games and if I catch someone cheating I'll outright embarrass them for it. My friends think its funny, but the person cheating always complains that I'm intimidating and mean. But seriously, if you're going to cheat what did you expect?

The other misconception is that I'm shy when I'm not. I am reserved a bit, but that rarely lasts long. It's no more than the usual awkward feelings one gets when meeting for the first time.

The biggest one that cracks me up the most is since I'm polite and nice to pretty much everyone I meet, people here automatically assume I'm LDS/Mormon. That one always has me wanting to laugh, I mean come on! Nice people who are not religious do exist!

Oh and there's always the misconception that I'm still a teenager, due to my size. I imagine that one will continue until my hair turns gray. I can't help it that I'm short and on the small side. And the fact that at times I've had to make do with kid shoes probably doesn't help. [/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]People think I'm a goth, a stoner, that I listen to 'rock' music, that I never brush my hair, that I never shower (it just gets greasy fast!!!), that I secretly want to kill everyone in the school or that I carry weapons on my person (one kid, after someone accidentally hit me in the head with a basketball, comes to me and goes 'hey man, if you snap, I'm on your side, okay?!'). A lot of people think I'm gay or bisexual or just a freak (that's my fault cuz I always talk about having sex with my guy friends) People think I do nothing but look at porn all day long or that I am some sort of 'porn king', some people think I will eat absolutely anything, and the biggest misconception that most people have about me is that I'm an ignorant, stupid dumbass with no brain whatsoever.[/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

[quote name='indifference'][COLOR="Indigo"]The biggest one that cracks me up the most is since I'm polite and nice to pretty much everyone I meet, people here automatically assume I'm LDS/Mormon. That one always has me wanting to laugh, I mean come on! Nice people who are not religious do exist! [/COLOR][/QUOTE]

That's a really weird conclusion given people like Mitt Romney are running about. :animeknow

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]I've had the same problem as Crystia before, I'm just over six foot tall and pretty built because I play a lot of contact sports so people instantly see me as somewhat intimidating. This is somewhat lessened if I happen to be wearing my glasses, which I do 90% of the time, as honestly I'm scared to death of contact lenses. It's actually pretty irritating because in reality I'm a really mellow, approachable person... and yes, a major geek in my spare time.

Other misconceptions, though they've only ever occurred once each is that:

[LIST][*][SIZE="1"][FONT="Verdana"]I'm in my thirties, I'm twenty, and was my brother's father, as in it looked like we were father and son. The guy who insinuated this may or may not have been mentally retarted.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[*][SIZE="1"][FONT="Verdana"]I buy weed, because apparently I had the appearance that made it look like I might buy drugs.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[/LIST][/SIZE]

[Vicky]

[SIZE=1]...Maybe I should make a list, lol...

[LIST]
[*]People think I follow a particular trend because I'm different - how does that work? I'm not trendy at all. That's the worse misconception, being different nowadays means you're copying someone. Haha.
[*]Apparently I'm scary. Some people don't talk to me because I'm "dead scary", partly because when I'm outdoors I seem to have the expressions of a celery stick. I don't like being with crowds, so I'm not very nice, and the majority of the new people I meet are in these big crowds.
[*]The common misconception that I fancy Marilyn Manson and I hate Rap. No. Eminem is good too.
[*]People think I'm a lesbian lmfao XD
[*]I have good grades, so I must sit inside at the weekend and study (in actual fact, as most people notice online, I am never here at the weekend, because I'm out until early hours in the morning doing worse things than those who are the popular kids in my school)
[*]Because I'm different, people instantly think I'm best mates with every scruff in my school who listens to that god forsaken mainstream emo junk. It's their music taste, but they're still scruffs.
[*]The biggest, most annoying one of all... [B]NO I AM NOT ****ING BLIND. I NEED SUNGLASSES TO SEE IN BOTH ARTIFICIAL AND SUNLIGHT. SHUT YOUR FACE. I LOOK COOLER THAN YOU ANYWAY.[/B]
[/LIST]


Init =).[/SIZE]

[eleanor]

[font="trebuchet ms"]The biggest misconception others have about me is that I'm reserved and a bit of a wet towel. It's true to an extent- I don't enjoy talking with people I don't care for or anyone I don't see a future with relationship-wise (friendly), and small talk annoys me. But when I'm with my friends I usually get joke-yelled at by them for being too rowdy or excited, so I'm basically the complete opposite. :P

And with people I don't know, I'm unfailingly polite and nice. However, once I become close friends with someone I just get very candid and less controlled.

With teachers, lol. Whenever I'm just in a normal mood, my face looks like I'm bored out of my mind and a lot of teacher assume I dislike the class. Sometimes I do, but most of the time I enjoy listening rather than talking. And I really just don't like voicing my opinion in class unless the question somehow challenges the class or I'm personally interested in the topic. I'm only open when I'm with people close to me, so talking for the sake of talking is something I can't do very well. [/font]

[Rachmaninoff]

Ah yes, misconceptions. The biggest one for me is you're how old? I look like I'm still a teenager even though I'm 26. :animesigh I keep hoping I'll start looking older one of these days.

The other, they always assume I'm an easy pushover. I've lost count of the times where people think that since I look younger, I must actually be younger and that therefore I need to have the most of any shared assignment whether it's homework or a chore at work. Like I need more experience or something. Feh!

And then people always assume I'm some stuck up know it all because I'm too young! So yeah a lot of the misconceptions I get are from people getting the wrong idea about my age. I do not need more experience, I am not a know it all, far from it in fact. I can't help it if I don't look old enough to already have my bachelor's degree and nearly be finished with my Masters.

And, yeah, like Crystia, people assume since I'm nice that I'm part of the main religion here in Utah. It doesn't help that at one time I was. I mean, that's what my parents are so it's only natural that they dragged me to church with them when I was a kid. Though I haven't been that way for quite some time now.

[PWNED]

[LIST]
[*]#1) When most people meet me and hear me criticise something then it is almost automatically believed that I am a perfectionist. I am in fact a purist, I like things to be as close to the source material as possible and that precision is a must. I am a firm believer that "Perfection is measured in tiny details" and the smallest mistake can cause a misunderstanding.
[*]#2) I am considered by many people to be abrasive and pessimistic; While it is true that I am not incredibly polite to people and I only see the worst out of a situation, It's because I've been bought up to expect the worst ot of something.
[*]#3) I'm thought of as a loner, In fact this is semi-correct. I prefer to keep to myself and choose to only be friends with moderatly intelligent people.
[*]#4) This may make me seem like a prick. All lies and slander
[/LIST]

[liamc2]

[FONT="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="1"]Hmm, misconceptions are always fun. Since I was 17, many people I have met assume that I am older than my years. When I was 18, I had a uni mate who thought I was 25, an unusual compliment I guess.

Though recently at work I had a younger co-worker [15] assume that I was just a bit older than her at 16-17. Considering I am now 20, it was a little unnerving [and against the trend]. I don't know, I have theories that these age assumptions depend on the context people see me in. At work there was suddenly a huge influx of young staff members [I am 1 of approximately 5 over 20], so I guess she just assumed...

Due to my studies, I have a number of people who assume that I'm a little snobbish because of my chosen path. Occasionally I've been given a little cold shoulder or throw away remarks are made in my general direction. It's a little weird that people feel they can't relate to me, it's not as though I wield my degree like a bat or something.

Tying in with the previous assumption, people assume that I'm overly serious and sober on all topics [while this is true for important things I guess], and automatically say something along the lines of "you're weird, but in a good way/you have more humour than I thought" etc when they have started to get to know me. Personally I blame the glasses stereotype. [/font][/size]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='liamc2'][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="1"]Hmm, misconceptions are always fun. Since I was 17, many people I have met assume that I am older than my years. When I was 18, I had a uni mate who thought I was 25, an unusual compliment I guess.[/font][/size][/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]People who either A. haven't spoken to me or B. I an trying to impress tend to think I'm older than I am. When I was a freshmen I got a ton of 'ZOMG I thought you were a Sophomore' and this last year I got a ton of 'ZOMG I thought you were a junior!' and from people I tried to impress it was more of 'ZOMG I thought you were 16'

Apparently I am also decent jailbait. Fo' real.[/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="goldenrod"]Well for starters, people always think I'm younger than I really am. Which is fine by me. But what gets me more than anything is the assumption that I'm a shy and timid person. I am reserved until you get to know me but shy and timid? lol That always cracks me up since I am rarely intimidated by anything. Trust me if I was I would have never gotten behind the wheel of an eighteen wheeler. XP

The other misconception is that I'm ladylike and would never lose my temper and all that jazz. So on those occasions when I actually do, I shock the hell out of people. I mean it makes no sense to me, I get annoyed just like anyone else. Though for the most part it is rare for me to really get angry, it's just not worth the trouble in my opinion.

Oh and by far the biggest misconception, ZOMG you're a stupid blonde! XP Gods that one annoys me to no end. I like my blonde hair thank you very much! And if you're too stupid to see beyond it to realize that I'm anything but dumb, your loss. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Andy]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]A lot of people think I'm gay or bisexual or just a freak (that's my fault cuz I always talk about having sex with my guy friends)[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
[FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="2"]
Why do you talk about thing's like that.....o.o?[/SIZE][/FONT]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[quote name='Dbzman26'][FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="2"]
Why do you talk about thing's like that.....o.o?[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Well, cuz my group of friends is completely zany. All the 9th graders in my group are my victims :devil: and since I would feel terrible if I harassed my female friends, I instead constantly hit on and threaten to rape my guy friends. It leads to some increadibly awquard conversations, but it's okay, because most of us know each other are straight. To people who see us acting that way though, it's O_o[/COLOR]

[Retribution]

[quote name='Semjaza']That's a really weird conclusion given people like Mitt Romney are running about. :animeknow[/QUOTE]
[font=Arial]That's what I was thinking.

People think I'm arrogant when they first meet me. I took a personality test in psychology, which stated what I already knew -- "Your first impression is that you are arrogant and elitist," which was depressing. I mean seriously, it kills me when I find out someone thinks I'm arrogant. But the personality test also said "But once those people get to know you more, they see it is your well-intended confidence that makes you seem high and mighty". Not so bad, I guess. A considerably less scientific personality test said that I share personalities with Hitler and Caesar. Great. :p

Additionally, people think I'm about 14 or 15. And seriously, they think I'm joking when I tell them I'm 17 and going to college in the fall. But the worst part is getting checked out by 8th grade girls, while the ones your age think you could be their little brother. >_>[/font]

[Sandy]

The only big misconception about me (that I've heard of, at least) is that I'm a girl - and I'm talking about real life, not online (which would be more understandable because of my user name). XP Thankfully it hasn't happened since highschool...

[Nerdsy]

[color=deeppink]Honestly, people don't form very many misconceptions about me when looking at me. I pretty much fit the stereotype of my personality.

Although, I'm apparently really convincing when I'm joking, and my friends have believed some pretty out there things about me. So those kinds of misconceptions pop up.[/color]

[Anakoni Stark]

[SIZE=1] I usually get the "Oh, really? you're only x years old? I thought you were y years old...", like during freshman year, my friend, she thought I was a junior, then my other friend thought I was a senior the following year.

people used to think I was some type of nerd, just cos I ranted on irrelevent subjects, my vocabulary, and my apperence, when in reality I'm more of a laid back kind of guy. But now they percive that I run cross country, when in reality I play tennis. They also thought I suffered from ADHD (or is on drugs, take your pick) cos I'd twitch and babble gibberish for no reason, but I just think it's my spazmodic side just trying to get out every now and again. Eventually people got used to it, and now they would worry if I didnt spazmodically Cwalk, twitch or babble incoherently at least once.[/SIZE]

[Gavin]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]I instead constantly hit on and threaten to rape my guy friends. It leads to some increadibly awquard conversations, but it's okay, because most of us know each other are straight. To people who see us acting that way though, it's O_o[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]There's a guy in my high school DB, and for a second I thought you might have been him. He does exactly the same stuff, only he takes it one step further and wrestles with the other guys in our group which ends up looking really, really gay. So oddly, I actually know what you're talking about.[/SIZE]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"]Why didn't I read this thread earlier? Well here's a few misconceptions about me.

[LIST]
[*]People think I'm goth because I wear all black. I'm not a goth, one of my friends [i]used[/i] to be goth and that's when the assumtions began.
[*]I sued to be an atheist. When I was people thought I was afraid of water for some reason. I do have a water phobia, but it's not like I melt or something. I do get into pools sometimes.
[*]People used to think I was gay or that I had a small [spoiler]penis.[/spoiler] Boy are they sooo wrong.
[*]When I would get this allergy shot every week this women thought I was 5. I was 9 then for cryin out loud. Some people think I'm like 11 or soemthing now. But I have started to get taller.
[/LIST][/COLOR]

[Claire]

[FONT="Arial"]I can't really think of any misconceptions about me, since I'm never quite certain what other people think. I do know I can be incredibly difficult to figure out, though; I can hardly ever do that myself. xD

I think people are usually right about me, though. If they think I'm a wet blanket, it's because I am (about most things). They think I easily become obsessed with things--I do, all the time.

The one misconception I can think of is that sometimes people think I'm pessimistic and therefore a downer. That's not entirely true; there are some things I want very badly and I'm much too optimistic about them. For everything else, I'm a realist. If I have a pretty good idea that something won't happen, I won't expect it to. Though I guess pessimism and being realistic can be the same thing sometimes.

Really though, more often than not it's not just whether my glass is half empty or half full. It's that my glass is all the way full.

Oh, people might think I'm a friendly person, too. I can't really agree with them. I'm not mean or anything, but it's really hard for me to make friends and even harder to start a conversation. I'm nice, but sometimes that's because I'm a doormat and don't have the heart to tell someone to leave me alone. :/[/FONT]

[Boo]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]and the biggest misconception that most people have about me is that I'm an ignorant, stupid dumbass with no brain whatsoever.[/COLOR][/QUOTE][size=1][color=blue][02:47] no futurist:[/color] There are just so many smartass things I could reply to that last line with that I won't because I can't pick the best one.

... The greatest misconception people have about me is that I am a sarcastic ***hole. :[[/size]

[John]

Most people who don't know me think I'm always really quiet, and maybe even that I don't know how to properly relate to people, haha. Really, though, I just tend to be quiet when I don't know someone that well, or if I don't like you but want to be polite about getting you to shut up. I've pretty much mastered the art of ending conversations almost before they begin (it's all in the one-syllable replies). All in all, though, I'm as easy to get along with as everyone else when you get to know me.

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR=DarkOrange]and the biggest misconception that most people have about me is that I'm an ignorant, stupid dumbass with no brain whatsoever.[/COLOR][/quote] [COLOR=Blue][20:05] pingpongsmiley:[/COLOR] ... I really can't pick the right line
[COLOR=Red] [20:06] no futurist:[/COLOR] Yeah, I'm sitting at the reply page thinking about it.
[COLOR=Blue] [20:06] pingpongsmiley:[/COLOR] Yeah, I keep typing an erasing stuff
[COLOR=Blue] [20:06] pingpongsmiley:[/COLOR] I have tried several ways of saying that he's making it too easy for us