Not being clear is one thing, but mixed messages are one of my biggest pet peeves. Whether they come at school, at home, or while interacting with people, I can never seem to not be annoyed by them. They often leave us feeling more than confused; they leave us feeling stranded. What do we believe? Who do we believe? Sending someone mixed messages is not too different than gaslighting someone which basically means manipulating the truth to sow seeds of doubt in someone. Whether that is intentional or not, it is not right—it’s manipulation. It is something that needs to be addressed and fixed. Whether you are a partner to someone, an employee, employer, or just a human in general, mixed messages when they occur need to be cleared up or else you lose credibility exponentially in this day and age of artistic fact-checking.
My Take: By Jordan Dionne
