Don’t Let Your Imagination Become Your Narration

When was the last time someone sent you a thumbs-up emoji?
And you suddenly weren’t sure if everything was fine…or falling apart?

There’s something about getting a thumbs-up instead of a heart that makes me think, “Okay, that feels a little cold.”

If you text someone something thoughtful, funny or even semi-emotional,
and you get hit with a thumbs-up, you may instantly assume one of the following:

• They’re being passive-aggressive.
• They’re disappointed with what was said.
• They meant to send a heart, but it slipped.

And if you’re someone who has never overthought a text,
Please teach a class.
I will be the first to sign up.

We are all one vague emoji away from emotional ruin.
Texting has become the breeding ground for overthinking.
No one uses punctuation anymore, and apparently, tone of voice doesn’t come with read receipts.

So instead of asking, we assume.
Instead of clarifying, we conclude.
And before we know it, we’ve written a whole narrative about someone’s mood, motives, and moral character.
All based on a bubble that popped up and disappeared.

We don’t just read messages.
We analyze them like they’re written in code.

“Sure” sounds a little too short.
No exclamation point? Must mean something’s off.
And “OK.” with a period? Feels like the texting equivalent of a side-eye.

All this over someone who probably replied while standing in line at Costco.
Holding a rotisserie chicken and trying not to drop their phone.

We assume so much based on silence.
Not hearing back for a few hours turns into ‘They must be upset.’
A short reply must mean ‘They are pulling away.’
A lack of emoji? Something has to be wrong.

But most of the time, it’s just life.
Busy days. Empty batteries. Forgotten replies.
It’s not about us.
We just made it about us.

We don’t need a magnifying glass for every message.
We need a little grace.
A little space.
And maybe a reminder that people are not waking up each day plotting how to subtly offend us over text.

Practically speaking, maybe it’s time to stop:

• Turning pauses into paranoia
• Turning commas into clues
• Turning three dots into a breakup text

Before you let a one-word reply, a delayed text, or three dots ruin your mood,
Pause.
Breathe.
And remember, it’s probably not that deep.

Don’t let your imagination become your narration.
Especially when “OK” might just mean they’re busy, not bothered.