Reading between vs. Reading into
According to the definition from Oxford Languages, the phrase ‘read between the lines’ means to “look for or discover a meaning that is hidden or implied rather than explicitly stated.” The way I see it, reading between the lines is a communication technique that can either be advantageous or a thorn to the side when taken too far. Reading between the lines can be advantageous in communication whenever it helps an individual see past what a person is saying in order to determine what they are really saying. For example, let’s say (hypothetically) that I am talking to someone who says that they care about and value what I have to say, but when I’m speaking, I notice that they keep checking their phone every other minute and fidgeting ever so slightly. Their words say, “I am listening to you. I care,” but their behavior says, “I am a little more concerned with other things at the moment than about what you are saying.” In instances like these, reading between the lines can be very useful. I am sure that this technique is probably even useful within certain careers, such as detective/police work, judiciary work, and even educational work. In these occupations, I can imagine it pays off to be able to look beyond what suspects or students are clearly saying and looking deeper into what they’re not saying, through body language, behavior, and other signs. So clearly, reading between the lines can be helpful. However, I am afraid that we as a society have crossed the line of efficiently reading between the lines into the arena of reading too much into every little thing. This action can be defined by Merriam-Webster as “think[ing] of something (such as a comment or situation) as having a meaning or importance that does not seem likely or reasonable.” Compared to reading between the lines, reading too much into circumstances is much more of a communicational hinderance than an asset. Some differences are that reading between the lines involves intuition and awareness, while reading into a situation too much involves hyper-awareness and quite a bit of subjectivity. Rather than let the situation and its various aspects act as a guide, our own biases and perspectives take over and skew our understanding of the situation. An oversimplified example of this might be if someone were to say, “I really like the color sky blue,” and another person interprets that as, “Okay, they don’t like navy blue.” This sounds silly, but in more complex, real-world conversations, I see it all the time. With social media, it’s even worse. There will always be someone out there who, if you post something on social media, will criticize and analyze what you said, from their point of view alone, without putting any effort into trying to understand who you are and why you said what you did. One example pertaining to a local issue I’ve seen is that perhaps if a suggestion is made for a new chain business to come to town, that means that person doesn’t support local business as much as they should. Just like in this example, people who read too much into the situation often see things more black-and-white and can often take something positive and make it negative. Rather than looking deeper into a message or situation in order to understand what the person is really saying, it involves looking at a situation with a singular viewpoint and drawing conclusions that are not reasonable. It means reaching point C (conclusion) without fully understanding point A (what was said). I caution everyone who prides themselves as an intuitive communicator to analyze the difference between these two things. While sometimes reading between the lines is necessary and a great skill to have, sometimes there is no hidden meaning or agenda. Sometimes things are simple and innocent. I think it’s hard for us to acknowledge that there’s still any pure innocence left in the world, but let’s not squash it with pure skepticism and negativity. The phrase “innocent until proven guilty” should apply to everyday conversations, too. Unless a person gives you a reason to believe there’s a hidden meaning they’re not saying or more behind what they’re saying, give them the benefit of the doubt, look at what they say with an open mind, and then if provoked, follow your intuition. Just remember the balance — as with everything else, too much of something is never a good thing.
Unless it’s food of course! God Bless and stay safe, Cibola!