Storms evoke an array of emotions, mostly depending on memories associated with them. My mom, for instance, was seriously injured in a tornado. Her mother and sister were killed. Consequently, storms caused her angst and great fear.
Others love the sound of thunder, with rain falling on the rooftop, especially if there is a metal roof. It soothes them to the point of sleepiness. They have never experienced loss from a storm.
So, two people, exact same stimulus, but two drastically different reactions, all of this is a result of their interpretation of the circumstances. Reaction to natural phenomenon, like storms, are pretty easy to understand.
However, the myriad of emotional stimuli we encounter in every minute of every day cause the same kind of innate responses, yet they are much more difficult to explain. I believe this is due to our own constantly changing state of mind. Sometimes, you break a pencil lead and you simply reach for a sharpener or a different writing instrument. Another time you fling the pencil across the room, yelling obscenities. What makes the difference?
Why all this talk about storms? Well, English is hard. Imagine the pencil incident being a conversation. One day you use a certain phrase and get a benign response. The next time you are in fear for your life because of the reaction of the listener. It is very difficult to anticipate these changes in mental state. Be prepared so you are not taken unaware by these seemingly random variations in reactions. Relationships are hard. Conversations are harder.
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