I'm almost sure this is going to backfire into my face, but it's a question I've been wondering about for a long time now, and after looking around a little here, I feel like this might be an ok place to ask and maybe get some insight. Or possibly not. I'm hoping no one "jumps out at me" but if someone does, I guess I can always just leave the website, right? No harm, no foul.
Anyway... From what I understand, a lot of you, really think it's great when a hearing person tries to communicate. But then I've also seen posts (not just here, and I was really debating putting this in because I don't want to ask to cite anything, maybe the person was just having an off day and feeling irritated at being asked the same thing over and over or something, I don't know) where the people seem to think they're...better than (most) hearing people, as a community maybe? I'm probably misunderstanding something. I'm getting mixed messages, and on one hand I'm seeing "I would love to talk with you, if you've taken the time to try and learn my language" but then on the other I'm getting the exact opposite, a "I want nothing to do with (ignorant) hearing people," and I realize not every person is the same, deaf, HOH, or hearing--and maybe they all WON'T want to talk to me, or maybe they'll be frustrated that my signing is terrible, or maybe they'll just have no interest in talking with me at all, for no real reason.
If you'd rather not interact with hearing people as much as possible, can you tell me why? Did we try to shout at you, did we try signing and acting like a show off but you couldn't understand us, or were we pitying or making ourselves seem like we're better? I'm just looking for some insight into this, you know, beyond the "be proud of who you are" thing.
This was probably the worst way to write this. I'm not good with words, and I don't want anyone to dislike me, but I've also heard the deaf are more likely to talk about things "as they are" without any sugar coating...so I guess we'll see.
Anyway... From what I understand, a lot of you, really think it's great when a hearing person tries to communicate. But then I've also seen posts (not just here, and I was really debating putting this in because I don't want to ask to cite anything, maybe the person was just having an off day and feeling irritated at being asked the same thing over and over or something, I don't know) where the people seem to think they're...better than (most) hearing people, as a community maybe? I'm probably misunderstanding something. I'm getting mixed messages, and on one hand I'm seeing "I would love to talk with you, if you've taken the time to try and learn my language" but then on the other I'm getting the exact opposite, a "I want nothing to do with (ignorant) hearing people," and I realize not every person is the same, deaf, HOH, or hearing--and maybe they all WON'T want to talk to me, or maybe they'll be frustrated that my signing is terrible, or maybe they'll just have no interest in talking with me at all, for no real reason.
If you'd rather not interact with hearing people as much as possible, can you tell me why? Did we try to shout at you, did we try signing and acting like a show off but you couldn't understand us, or were we pitying or making ourselves seem like we're better? I'm just looking for some insight into this, you know, beyond the "be proud of who you are" thing.
This was probably the worst way to write this. I'm not good with words, and I don't want anyone to dislike me, but I've also heard the deaf are more likely to talk about things "as they are" without any sugar coating...so I guess we'll see.