We often hear the old saying, "You can afford to be praised as much as you can withstand being discredited." But does it really hold true in real life? Especially in today's world of ubiquitous cyber-violence, a casual remark on the Internet may be met with all kinds of dislikes or attacks in the next second.
In the face of such a situation, which may be slammed at any time, what should we think of this phenomenon, and how should we understand this seemingly meaningful statement?
In fact, any words may sound reasonable, especially those designed to convey the truth, as the ancient saying goes, "Letters speak the truth". However, a sentence cannot be understood without its context and relationships. Relationships are the backdrop against which we understand language, and language itself is the vehicle for relationships. If we can't figure out the relationship between the two parties, it's hard to tell if a sentence really makes sense. For example, for someone we don't know well, how do we know if they are genuinely trying to do you good, or if they have ulterior motives? Especially in online communication, without face-to-face visual cues, we are more likely to misunderstand the other person's true intentions, even if what they say sounds right.