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Every day, we perform so many tasks that we instantly forget about them. Meeting the deadline at work, picking kids up from school, reserving a dinner table, paying bills, doing this and that; no wonder our heads are spinning by the end of the week.

Whatever we do, even if we do so voluntarily, we have to follow some general rules, sometimes strict instructions or simply common sense to complete each task. But what happens when a person not just does what they’re supposed to do, but does so in such a literal way that it modifies the initial task altogether?

Call it a sense of humor, malicious compliance, a miscommunication, or a human error, but one thing is clear, every now and then, people take stuff at face value. Below Bored Panda wrapped up some of the funniest examples to remind everyone that we had better be clear than sorry. More literally completed jobs await in our previous post here.

#1

We Told Our 3-Year-Old That New Year Is Special Because You Get To Toast. Later, She Said: "Are We Gonna Make A Toast Now?" And Thus, A New Year's Day Tradition Was Born

We Told Our 3-Year-Old That New Year Is Special Because You Get To Toast. Later, She Said: "Are We Gonna Make A Toast Now?" And Thus, A New Year's Day Tradition Was Born

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#2

This Is The Picture Amazon Sent My Bill To Say The Packages Were "Delivered To A Family Member Directly"

This Is The Picture Amazon Sent My Bill To Say The Packages Were "Delivered To A Family Member Directly"

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#3

Someone At A Festival Offered Me A Little Bag Of Coke

Someone At A Festival Offered Me A Little Bag Of Coke

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Let’s make one thing clear – people are destined for miscommunication, for one reason or the other. Sometimes it happens by accident, other times it depends on the wrong assumption or interpretation, and other times we do it deliberately to prove a point. Call it an act of malicious compliance, a phenomenon well documented on various online platforms.

At the same time, if we want to make a real connection, miscommunication between us and the other person will break the deal. After all, social interaction follows us everywhere: at work, on a date, while out with friends, or having a coffee with your bff. So how could we possibly gain that confidence to express ourselves so that we are understood? Bruce Lambert, a professor, scientist, and consultant who has taught thousands of people all across the United States how to communicate more effectively, may have some answers.

#4

My Grandma Wanted Some "Creative" Grad Photos Of My Friend Since We're Graduating At The Same Time. This Was Her Least Favorite

My Grandma Wanted Some "Creative" Grad Photos Of My Friend Since We're Graduating At The Same Time. This Was Her Least Favorite

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#6

Always Asked For A Skateboard As A Kid. My Parents Said Not Until I'm 35. Today They Delivered

Always Asked For A Skateboard As A Kid. My Parents Said Not Until I'm 35. Today They Delivered

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ツ chihuahua n.
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks so happy! Edit: ty for the upvotes, this is the most i've ever gotten!

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First, we have to realize that being misunderstood is one of those common things that are virtually impossible to get rid of altogether. As long as we are a community, we will misunderstand each other. Nevertheless, it still puzzles us.

“People say they want to learn to express themselves more clearly so that they won't be misunderstood. When we are misunderstood, we think it is because we chose the wrong words. We didn't convey our ideas properly. Or we blame the other person. We expressed ourselves perfectly clearly, but they misinterpreted us. They got the wrong idea out of what we said,” Lambert explains on his website How Communication Works.

#7

Experts Recommend Keeping Your Daily Rituals Even While Working From Home

Experts Recommend Keeping Your Daily Rituals Even While Working From Home

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#8

Mom Told Her Daughter To Grab Her Mask So They Can Go To The Store. This Was The Mask She Grabbed

Mom Told Her Daughter To Grab Her Mask So They Can Go To The Store. This Was The Mask She Grabbed

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Gentleman Wolf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey, it covers her nose and mouth… which is more than I can say for most customers who roll through the store I work at…

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#9

My Buddy Was Told He Could Wear A Costume

My Buddy Was Told He Could Wear A Costume

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But Lambert argues that it's not that simple. “It's not about putting our ideas into words and having other people decode our words and extract our ideas,” he writes. “It's about saying and doing things in the world so that other people, drawing on mutual knowledge about you, the context, language, and how the world works, can make accurate inferences about your beliefs, emotions, attitudes, plans, goals, and intentions.”

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#10

Found Some Amazing Indian Writing

Found Some Amazing Indian Writing

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#11

My Dad Asked Me If I Wanted An Egg Sandwich. I'm Not Even Mad, This Is Genius

My Dad Asked Me If I Wanted An Egg Sandwich. I'm Not Even Mad, This Is Genius

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#12

Told My Boyfriend I Was Getting Him A Burger For Christmas

Told My Boyfriend I Was Getting Him A Burger For Christmas

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According to him, when communication breaks down, it is a breakdown in this inferential problem-solving process, not a breakdown in encoding or decoding. “Avoiding misunderstanding means supporting this inferential process, or, when possible, minimizing the need for inference by being explicit,” he says.

#14

There You Go

There You Go

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Sophhh
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lol I don’t understand what people expect when they text there customers this 🤣

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So in order to avoid being misunderstood, Lambert’s advice is to ask yourself whether there is enough common ground to support accurate inference. “Accurate inference requires mutual knowledge, i.e., a set of facts that we share in common. We make assumptions about what other people know and what they know we know, and what they know we know they know, etc.”

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What’s important to understand is that these assumptions are often wrong. “When the doctor tells the patient to put the patch on a different place every day, she assumes the patient knows to take yesterday's patch off. Dangerous assumption,” Lambert explained. To avoid misunderstanding, it’s always great to check your assumptions about mutual knowledge, and where it's lacking, do the work needed to fill in the gaps.

#16

My Cousin Wanted Cake And Ordered One. Told The Bakers To Write Whatever They Wanted Because It Was For Just For Her Anyway

My Cousin Wanted Cake And Ordered One. Told The Bakers To Write Whatever They Wanted Because It Was For Just For Her Anyway

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#17

Can You Talk Real Quick?

Can You Talk Real Quick?

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#18

Garlic Powder

Garlic Powder

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Another tip from Lambert is to ask yourself if the person knows you well enough to realize when you're speaking literally or not. “Most of what we communicate, we communicate indirectly, by saying one thing and meaning much more,” he argues and adds that it’s efficient when people share enough knowledge and know each other well enough.

However, “When people do not know you well, they will be unsure when to take you literally and when to use inference to go beyond what you said to get at what you really meant. Avoid irony, sarcasm, and other forms of indirect, non-literal speech when speaking to people who may not know you well enough not to take you literally,” Lambert suggests.

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#19

Asked For My Cheese Steak To Be Made With Love. They Delivered

Asked For My Cheese Steak To Be Made With Love. They Delivered

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#20

I Asked My 5-Year-Old To Keep An Eye On His Sister While I Served Him Dinner, I Peek Out Of The Kitchen And Find Him Like This. His Sister Is In Good Hands

I Asked My 5-Year-Old To Keep An Eye On His Sister While I Served Him Dinner, I Peek Out Of The Kitchen And Find Him Like This. His Sister Is In Good Hands

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#21

Not Gonna Lie, This Is A Little Too Accurate

Not Gonna Lie, This Is A Little Too Accurate

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#22

They Got What They Asked For

They Got What They Asked For

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#24

They Asked Me To "Dress Like What You Want To Be When You Grow Up". So I Went With Retired On An Island

They Asked Me To "Dress Like What You Want To Be When You Grow Up". So I Went With Retired On An Island

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#25

My Brother's Camp Requires The Kids Write A Letter Home After The First Week

My Brother's Camp Requires The Kids Write A Letter Home After The First Week

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#26

My Daughter When She Said She Wanted To Be A Transformer For Halloween

My Daughter When She Said She Wanted To Be A Transformer For Halloween

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#27

I Was So Busy In The Kitchen I Didn't Know What To Do First, My Little Brother Asked Me What He Can Do To Help. I Told Him To 'Get That Bag Of Potato, Peel Half Of Them And Boil'

I Was So Busy In The Kitchen I Didn't Know What To Do First, My Little Brother Asked Me What He Can Do To Help. I Told Him To 'Get That Bag Of Potato, Peel Half Of Them And Boil'

My little brother is a true genius.

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#28

My Bro Told My Grandma, Jokingly, That He Wanted 100 Things From The Dollar Store For Christmas, Grandma Doesn't Like Being Challenged

My Bro Told My Grandma, Jokingly, That He Wanted 100 Things From The Dollar Store For Christmas, Grandma Doesn't Like Being Challenged

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#30

My Buddy Jokingly Decided To Get A Henna Tattoo Of A Mustache While At The Beach. The Foreign Worker Didn't Understand What He Was Saying

My Buddy Jokingly Decided To Get A Henna Tattoo Of A Mustache While At The Beach. The Foreign Worker Didn't Understand What He Was Saying

So she asked him to write down what he wanted. This was the result

RyanHasWaffleNipples Report

#31

This Brazilian Girl Is A Big Fan Of K-Pop And All Korean Culture, So Her Father Without Understanding Much Wanted To Personalize Her Party

This Brazilian Girl Is A Big Fan Of K-Pop And All Korean Culture, So Her Father Without Understanding Much Wanted To Personalize Her Party

With the most famous Korean character he found

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#32

A First Grade Class Was Asked What They Would Say If The Pilgrims Showed Up At Their Door On Thanksgiving

A First Grade Class Was Asked What They Would Say If The Pilgrims Showed Up At Their Door On Thanksgiving

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#33

My Wife Doesn’t Want Our Newborn Son’s Face Posted On Social Media, So She Asked Me To Censor It. Needless To Say, I Won’t Be Asked To Do That Again

My Wife Doesn’t Want Our Newborn Son’s Face Posted On Social Media, So She Asked Me To Censor It. Needless To Say, I Won’t Be Asked To Do That Again

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Gentleman Wolf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actual question, would like legit replies (I don’t have kids so I don’t understand this): Why do parents wish their newborn’s/baby’s face to be censored on social media? Privacy? The child/adult that the baby is going to grow into won’t resemble the baby’s face that much, so why hide the baby’s face? (If the parents don’t censor their faces, I don’t see what censoring the baby’s does in terms of privacy.) Is it a “baby can’t make their own decisions about whether or not they want their face posted online publicly” thing? I’m not trying to be an a*s, I’m truly curious as I’ve never understood this!

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#35

We Are Now A Hands-Free State

We Are Now A Hands-Free State

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#39

My Wife Is A Teacher And Found This While Marking An Assessment

My Wife Is A Teacher And Found This While Marking An Assessment

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#40

My Son Wanted "Cold Hard Cash" For His Birthday

My Son Wanted "Cold Hard Cash" For His Birthday

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#42

My Sister In Law Told My Brother “Use Those DIY Books And Fix The Chair!” Done

My Sister In Law Told My Brother “Use Those DIY Books And Fix The Chair!” Done

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#43

Our Wedding Shower During Quarantine. We Made The Best Of What We Had

Our Wedding Shower During Quarantine. We Made The Best Of What We Had

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#44

Some Kids Take Things A Little Too Literally

Some Kids Take Things A Little Too Literally

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#45

How Do You Want Your Sandwich Cut She Said. I Don't Care I Said. Turns Out I Do, Mildly

How Do You Want Your Sandwich Cut She Said. I Don't Care I Said. Turns Out I Do, Mildly

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jjdubs W
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Didn't know Tangram style was an option. I'll have to remember this.

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#46

Every Year I Get My Boyfriend A Cake For His Birthday. This Year I Asked What Type He Wanted. He Said, “I Don’t Care”

Every Year I Get My Boyfriend A Cake For His Birthday. This Year I Asked What Type He Wanted. He Said, “I Don’t Care”

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Gentleman Wolf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m going to borrow this idea… XD Now, just to find out what cartoon/character my bf abhors the most… (but cake flavor will be his favorite, of course!!)

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#47

I Wonder What He's Gonna Do When He'll Become 90

I Wonder What He's Gonna Do When He'll Become 90

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#49

This Is What A Human Hand Looks Like Under A Microscope

This Is What A Human Hand Looks Like Under A Microscope

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#50

My Friend's Tattoo. When Asked "What Does That Mean?" He Replies, "I Don't Know, I Don't Speak Chinese." That Is Literally What It Means

My Friend's Tattoo. When Asked "What Does That Mean?" He Replies, "I Don't Know, I Don't Speak Chinese." That Is Literally What It Means

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Note: this post originally had 112 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.