Incorrect assumptions

[Nebulous]

What is something that strangers often incorrectly assume about you?

Why do you think you give off that impression?

 

[DrLeftover]

That I'm just a big dumb white guy that watches football, can't read or write beyond a sixth grade level, and becomes non-functional in the presence of a top-heavy woman.


I don't make an effort to correct them.

After all... I AM a 'big, dumb, white guy'.

 

[Juneberry]

I don't really know for sure what people assume about me, since I never ask... But the topic reminds me of this time someone made (quasi-accurate) assumption, but pissed me off by explaining their reasoning that focused solely on illogical stereotypes.

Spoiler: Mild Explanation/Rant

The guy was sitting next to me on a plane flying from New Jersey to California (I was 13 years old) and the first thing he said to me was, "You have a big nose and you're dressed modestly, so you must be Jewish." While it's true I am from a Jewish family, I do not practice and had already stopped practicing at that point. Big noses aren't Jewish-only, either- a lot of people used to mistake my mom as being from Italy because of hers. It fits both. Also, it was bloody winter and I was freezing and on a plane. Of course I was going to dress modestly!

...Oh wait, there is one other mistake people make a lot. I'm short so people tend to mistake me for a lot younger than I am. When I was in my early 20s, a ten year old asked me if I was his classmate. In my late 20s, a guy tried to keep me from following the adult group in a day program that was for teens and adults because he assumed i was 15 at most. I am not a kid, people- even if I'm small and have a small voice. >w<

 

[Dee]

What my name means and where it's from. What kind of entertainment genre I like. My family history.

 

[ElegantAura]

Most interactions now happen online, so it's hard to know for sure what people are thinking. I don't know many people, and when I'm out, it seems like others avoid talking to me. Maybe I give off a vibe that says don't dare talk to me.
But also, these days, people are less inclined to strike up conversations with strangers and often don't ask anything.
In the past i used to hear this quite often, you don't seem like you're from there or your accent doesn't match that place.

 

[PGen98]

What is something that strangers often incorrectly assume about you?

Gender...

Why do you think you give off that impression?

...

 

[Mad Hatter]

I joke around a lot and come across as a light hearted person. Every once in awhile a dude might get the wrong impression and assume that they can bully me. *WRONG* ....No, no, no, hombre...you cannot.

 

[riseabovethis]

Most interactions now happen online, so it's hard to know for sure what people are thinking. I don't know many people, and when I'm out, it seems like others avoid talking to me. Maybe I give off a vibe that says don't dare talk to me.
But also, these days, people are less inclined to strike up conversations with strangers and often don't ask anything.
In the past i used to hear this quite often, you don't seem like you're from there or your accent doesn't match that place.

If I ran into you in public I wouldn't avoid you because the first thing I'd say is, "Do you have any spare change?"

 

[Juneberry]

What my name means and where it's from. What kind of entertainment genre I like. My family history.

I forgot that people always get my name meaning wrong too (and by that I mean my handle). Also how to spell my actual last name. No one can do it, but to be fair, it's got a lot of spellings out there so it's not surprising that half my mail gets it wrong (heck, my doctor misspelled my first name, which is exceedingly common, on the file name for my MRI report recently...)

But yeah, people see "Juneberry" and guess for some reason that my name is June or that I was born in June.
Neither is right. For starters, my name starts with an A... and I was born in March. Juneberry is just my favorite wild, edible berry.
Luckily, people are hearing more about its existence now thanks to Red Bull. I keep getting messages from friends from time to time now that find them and are like "hey look I found you" xD

 

[ElegantAura]

If I ran into you in public I wouldn't avoid you because the first thing I'd say is, "Do you have any spare change?"

Not carrying cash anymore, it's been a long time since I did

 

[safeinsanity]

They probably think that I'm mean because I don't put up with people's crap and I speak my mind.

 

[emily]

that because I was abused as a child, I also act abusive towards others

I don't, though

in fact the oppositte