Anyone else bad with words?

[Assimilate]

I can usually express myself pretty well in writing but when it comes to verbal communication I'm like a four year old. I often mix up my words, stutter, and make everything worse. I couldn't talk my way out of a wet paper bag. For whatever reason it's not as bad when I'm on Skype or talking on the phone. But when I'm face to face with someone I just end up with my foot in my mouth. As a result I don't talk much. I wonder how many people who have met me briefly IRL think I'm an idiot. 

 

[Yeti1980]

I can fully appreciate where you are my friend, on the phone I'm great, online I'm pretty good, in the written word I'm pretty articulate...in person, I can end up using the wrong words, stuttering or losing track of what I'm saying. It's something I've had to work on over the years, strangely it's a problem I have when chatting casually, almost as though my brain relaxes too much and makes mistakes.

It's a complex subject and there may be specialists you could see about it, but at the same time you're no idiot and I don't think it's helpful to worry about or examine it too much.

 

[Silvery]

Opposite for me. I write crap online, though I score 100% on tests of verbal ability, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. I speak much better than how I write online. Bad, hard-to-absorb writing has a lot to do with why I'm so unsuccessful posting online and making online friends.

 

[worthless_loser]

I'm basically the same.
I still goof up on the phone though.

Sometimes I get nervous, and my skin gets itchy all over.
Then I have to start scratching myself like a madman.

At least I'm somewhat good at writing well.
Also, writing gives me more time to think about what I want to say.
Whereas in person, you have to respond immediately.

I don't know what to tell you, other than you're not alone.

 

[spilledmilk]

Yes, have great difficulty expressing myself, an even recognising what i feel.

 

[ringwood]

Yes, I can absolutely relate. I write for a living - words are my mainstay. In writing I'm inteliigent and articulate. Talk to me in person and I'm shy, nervous and socially awkward, especially with strangers. I stumble over my words, blush like mad and just come across as a complete tool. If I have anything really important to say, I much prefer to convey them in writing.

 

[Finished]

Ha! ha! I was tongue tied. Luckily my tongue was freed. Woohoo!!!! But I still stuttered as a child. There were so many words that I just couldn't pronunciate. Also, I had constant ear infections so I didn't start to speak until I was nearly four years old. Half my school day up until fifth grade was speech therapy. I was so lucky that was even an option. I'm sure that screwed with my social skills though. I was looked upon as a weird kid.

So, I learned to speak and argue slowly and clearly. Ha! ha! It's always in the back of my mind. I'll be talking and my mind goes blank when it gets to some word that I absolutely know and use on a regular basis. But, my mind just stops. I play it off as best I can. The problem is many times the word is something I should be very familiar with. So, it seems like I don't know what I'm talking about. Meetings are horrible for me. Job interviews are the worst. I absolutely dread the thought of ever having to do another one of those damn things. I can already feel all the judging that will be going on.

I have to laugh at myself thinking about all the physical abnormalities I have. I won't list them. But, I truely am lucky that I turned out as well as I did. Everybody's goal for me while growing up was to hopefully become somewhat normal. Higher education and a career wasn't even on the radar. Most wrote me off.

But, as bad as you think you have it. Many others have it worse.

 

[Nicolelt]

Oooooooh yes. I think lots of people can relate to this. My issue is, when I get really emotional, I start to cuss because I can't figure out the correct word lol.

 

[Finished]

Oooooooh yes. I think lots of people can relate to this. My issue is, when I get really emotional, I start to cuss because I can't figure out the correct word lol.

[img=220x223]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/db/2e/2f/db2e2fc6ccfdd0e56519a9f0a7af46e9.jpg[/img]

Perhaps a game you'd be great at.

 

[Myra]

I can't speak either. Reading and writing is ok though.. I don't know if it's due to a lack of practice because I never speak to anyone. Or is my brain just naturally bad at it. Probably both.

I also don't understand why people speak so much. Some can talk for hours. I don't understand it.

 

[JJW]

I can usually express myself pretty well in writing but when it comes to verbal communication I'm like a four year old. I often mix up my words, stutter, and make everything worse. I couldn't talk my way out of a wet paper bag. For whatever reason it's not as bad when I'm on Skype or talking on the phone. But when I'm face to face with someone I just end up with my foot in my mouth. As a result I don't talk much. I wonder how many people who have met me briefly IRL think I'm an idiot. 

Same here.  I talk too much and I'm not very good at it.  Have you ever noticed those that articulate there thoughts well are appreciated more?  The golden tongued politician will always be elected...then it's too late to learn he never meant a word of it.  That guy that teaches those self help seminars.  People are swayed by the spoken word.  They'll listen as though it's a song, losing their ability to think for themselves.

I write.  I always have to go back and fix it.  I image when I talk it's the same...but I can't go back and fix it.  Also, I write slower than I talk.  It might be I haven't time to contrive my words to talk.  I know I'm misunderstood a lot.  But you'd think the people that know that about me would give me the chance to clarify.  Instead they judge based on their assumptions.

I was always the black sheep.  Now I'm a lone wolf.

 

[priscella]

I was always having trouble with words for I had a real bad speech defect up until the age of about 15 or 16 years old. I had speech therapy for years after they discovered that I was not mentally lacking when they put me in a school for "retardation" word used is out dated but that was the word 70 years ago. I got so good at speaking that I was hired by a communications company and did very well. Now I will not shut up--lol lol...But words do not come easily for me especially since I am now getting more advanced with age. I was premature at birth and I do believe that my brain in the communications area is lacking--lol, and my writing is no better and it comes hard for me....Priscella.

 

[JJW]

I was premature at birth and I do believe that my brain in the communications area is lacking--lol, and my writing is no better and it comes hard for me....Priscella.

I blame most of my deficits on a congenital infection (not genital infection..CONGENITAL infection.  )

Ah, but what are you going to do.  We are what we are.  Success comes with learning to live with it.

 

[priscella]

That's for true and are you sure it is not genital? lol lol... People have to learn how to live with all kinds of things especially as we age--talking mainly about health aspects.... Priscella

 

[JJW]

That's for true and are you sure it is not genital?.... Priscella

You just wanted to say genitals. 

 

[priscella]

Ha Ha I am going to blame my "subconscious"...lol   Maybe so....Priscella

 

[krustywazoo]

Yeah. I tend to mutter, on top of speaking low and fast. It's not a good time. I'm a little better when I'm talking online.

 

[SquiddyKat]

Yes. It's gotten worse now, and I'm convinced that I have Primary Progressive Aphasia.
I get a lot of brain fog, and I say things wrong frequently, mix up words, somethimes with words not even related. At least online, it gives me some time to think.
A lot of times, Isaw the wrong thing. It hasn't been that bad recently online, to my knowledge, for people are responding and there doesn't seem to be misjudgement or confusion. I've been on Discord a lot lately.

You're not alone. (((Hugs)))

 

[JJW]

Yes. It's gotten worse now, and I'm convinced that I have Primary Progressive Aphasia.
I get a lot of brain fog, and I say things wrong frequently, mix up words, somethimes with words not even related. At least online, it gives me some time to think.

Same here. I articulate poorly. It's not that I can't say what I want, it's that it doesn't come out right in real time. Online I get to edit so my point is clearer if not completely free of ambiguity. I have issues with word definitions. I mix them up and and my conception is lost from their perception. Online I get to double check the words I use to make sure I've not said the opposite of what I want to get across. Edit, edit... consider... edit....

 

[michael9320]

I've always considered myself more of a writer than a talker. Even when I was younger and forced to be a lot more social (due to school), thus had a lot more immediate experience with social interactions, I felt that I struggled greatly with my verbal communication. Nowadays it would be even worse after having dealt with just over a decade of social isolation, even with a more mature mindset aiding me in some aspects.
It doesn't help that at least when I communicate via text I can read over what I typed and correct any mistakes I make, be it typos or miswording what I mean. Once I say something then that's that, it's out there.