Do people find anything hard to believe about you?

I am Spartacus!

You wouldn’t believe how many times I tried to explain that to people, there’s always some smartass who stands up and claims that they are Spartacus, enter a crowd of copycats. Feels like I’m starring a goddamned movie sometimes…

On a more serious note, people sometimes have a hard time believing I’m Polish, especially on teh interwebs. Don’t hate me cause I’m bilingual(ish) :P

Ok. I’ll bite.

Sorry @fremen_warrior, but I am Spartacus!

There now. Don’t you feel better? Your prediction has come true. No need for delayed gratification, either!

@wundayatta now you’re just plain talking outta your ass!

@fremen_warrior And this is different from the way I ordinarily talk just…... how?

@wundayatta got me there, bottom line is you’re one of THEM!

Be afraid! Be veeeery afraid!

People, and by people I usually mean potential employers, always doubt my skill level with languages. Fluent in 5, can get by in 3, learning and working on about 6 or 7 more.

Sometimes they don’t believe my 8th grandchild is on the way.

People often don’t believe that I’ve never consumed alcohol. I really don’t see what the big deal is. smells like poison, makes people act like idiots. no thanks.

My other car’s a ferrari…..honest!

@ucme, my other car is an airplane.

@Judi My other plane’s a helicopter.

@ucme, true story. We have the airplane for sale and the plan is for hubby to build a helicopter after it sales.

Nobody ever seems to believe that my daughter drowned, and I resuscitated her myself. I don’t know why that would be so unbelievable.

@Judi Ooh, get you Mrs.Travolta ;¬}

I have a number of stories many people have trouble believing. It’s always fun when they run into someone else I know, who is able to collaborate the story.
For example, the insane ex-boss who raped a co-worker, and bragged about it to the crew…

@ucme , it’s not a 747.

Plenty. How much I actually care about people, how I am different when with those I love most, how much I love animals, etc. Those who read me as straight and narrow have no clue as to my politics until I open my mouth and then, if they’re actually straight and narrow, they think I’m the devil.

That I was a meth head and ecstasy abuser for (combined) over 5 years. I have great white and totally straight teeth, still to this day.

Been clean 6 years now as of last month.

My parents fought in a revolution for a country they were not born in.

@Judi Size isn’t everything, as we all know.

People in my current life have no idea what kind of life I’ve had and what I’ve been through, how private I really am, and how deep/intense my emotions are. They see an open, passive and unassuming hard worker who has time for others in need, but basically keeps to her self.

I worked in the classroom next to my ex-husband for 5 years—nobody ever knew we were having marriage problems or that I was being abused.

My old friends from my past know better! :D

@linguaphile Thanks for sharing that.

I’m at a place in life where I know an overwhelming number of people who have “backstories” that explain so much of their unique behavior, even hostile and thoughtless behavior, that when I hear about bad behavior I’m always inclined to say, “Who knows what’s going on in their life that could explain it.”

Of course, if someone is hostile or thoughtless to me I tend to exhibit my own backstory more.

@6rant6 You’re welcome! I agree—people do express their backstory more than they realize, even teenagers. I’ve taught high school for 6 years and each kid’s behavior comes with a backstory, so for adults, has to be exponentially more complicated. I think we all have soft underbellies—just how we protect it differs and whether we’re aware of it also differs.

Even me appearing to be passive and unassuming is a survival strategy to protect my own underbelly!

When I first meet them – my age.
After a few beers – my dirty mind and mouth : )

What I usually hear…‘Uh how can you be Brazilian if your Jewish? I don’t believe you!’...Growing up in Europe…I would think people were smart enough to differentiate religion from a nationality… its pretty insane. Probably heard this over 50,000 times.

In France they ask me if I’m Parisian… ‘No I’m American/Brazilian’...you should see their faces.

Some people even feel betrayed. ‘But you told us you lived in Luxembourg, why are you lying, what are you!!’ Ignorance is painful to watch sometimes.

@snapdragon24 You made me think of another one… people asking me more than 50,000 times through my life how I can drive or enjoy music.

You see, I can’t hear at all. It seems that many people can’t differentiate between the ability to see and the ability to hear… you only need to see to drive and can’t hear things outside the car anyway. As for music, I have my ways to access music, was a dancer for 12 years and choreographed dance routines for my cheer squad.

I get really tempted to get snarky and tell them I’m pursuing a PhD, and they are doing what…? But I’m too nice. :D