Text based interactions can easily have miscommunications. I just had one.
I was talking about GA Power rate schedules, and that the plan where they distributes costs over time doesn't lower the total amount paid.
"That's not necessarily true" someone said.
They told me they enrolled in the program where the power company can alter thermostat settings before peak time and that lowers their bill...
I said that enrolling in the thermostat control program affects consumption. While changing consumption. That is different from what I was talking about. I was talking about payment arrangements.
They asked what the difference was. I explained.
I do not know why, but the other person found my reply provoking.
"I am not going back and forth with you on this! I'm done!"
In response, I said nothing more about it.
Then I get a flurry of messages about it.
I think there is a lot in there to unpack. But that aside, it is hard to respect the "I'm done" from a person that is still sending angry messages about attributes not in dispute.
"I'm asking for reciprocity. When you say 'I'm done' I have no problem dropping an issue. Can you do the same?"
The person said "Yes" and stopped sending the angry messages.
This has me thinking about another issues.
From my assessment, the temperature of the discussion had gone past the point of having any productive outcome. Terminating the discussion was the least unproductive option.
The same person said that sometimes people they thought were their friends just quietly cut them off and stop interacting.
I think this situation might happen a lot with other people. They asked that if I notice concerning attributes to let them know. I don't see that I productively can.
I think that key to me not having cut the person off is that my face-to-face interactions are less frequent and remote. It is easy to step away and let things cool off.
For the others, their corrosive interactions were in person. I think that is harder to de-escalate and probably has a deeper effect.
I don't see how I can say something about this or other observations without it being provoking. I'll have to decide some other day if I will provoke.
ThinkingSapien