The Same, Except Different?
So, I don’t mean for this to be a survey or anything like that, as much as I am seeking some clarification from the OpenDiary community. I would appreciate any and all comments.
I don’t really feel like getting into all the details as to why this entry is even being written, but as I said earlier, I am seeking clarity, in the event that I missed something.
The question is this.
Do the two sentences below say/mean the same thing?
–I don’t need you.
–I don’t need your help.
Well, do they?
Let me know your thoughts because I am curious as hell.
Context is everything, friend. “I don’t need you” is a general statement, while “I don’t need your help” is more specific. “I don’t need you,” in a general sense, is about not needing someone’s presence in their life, while “I don’t need your help,” could mean the person wants you to remain in their life, but without helping them. But, alas, it’s all about context.
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Without having the context, they mean two different things. I think “I don’t need you” is the more harsh sounding one.
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Hmmm…. I say they are different because I don’t need you means at all, and I don’t need your help means don’t need help.
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Me being a woman, it’s easily perceived as having the same meaning. Women are nurtures and we want to make everything okay. So the two statements can be easily infused together. From a black and white perspective, yes they mean two different things when you step back and look at them individually. The first one is more finite in context. The second one is more specific based on whatever concept it’s referring to. I don’t know if this makes sense but it’s my thoughts.
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I don’t need your help is specific and means what is said. I don’t need you depends on the tone and circumstances in which ‘I don’t need you’ was said. Did person just pull a giant wad of hair from the plugged drain and declare, “See, I don’t need you!” proud of accomplishing something that they never thought they could do? Or did they say it with disdain and in response to your telling them they couldn’t get on with life without you? Or was it said angrily when you took over a project they were working on without asking if help was needed, which made the person feel like a subordinate? Tone and context are important in determining the meaning.
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