Was my professor laughing at me?

I can only tell you my experiences. At one time I only went to the store when I was in a certain mood. I haven't had that problem for a number of years now, but recently I went and everyone seemed to offend me if they just breathed. I call it paranoid days. I thought I was unique, but when I mentioned it to someone, they said that everyone has those days.

I think it is rare now because I started listening to my intuition it keeps me in the flow of what's going on instead of me being overly much into my own thoughts only. I think people are very complex actually. More complex than ever they realize. When they do something it has their whole history in it and you can pick out any interpretation you want and there is some truth in it. When I'm in certain moods I only pick out a negative component or interpretation or something and that's all I see.

Another thing I notice is that if I don't neutralize negative thoughts I have about people, say by asking other people about them, trying to put a positive spin on it, just describing my observation more accurately or something else, my negative thoughts affect my relationship with them. It's as if they can sense from my body language, intonation or facial expression that I don't like them. I am sending out mixed signal too and a person picks up what they are 'tuned to?' that day.

She may have been laughing at herself and realized that something was wrong from your expression. People tell me my expression is a dead give away of my thoughts. I get into a lot of trouble from that. Well, anyway, she may mostly have been laughing at herself or more the situation of a younger person explaining an older one, who 'knows'. The situation was a little funny and she had the giggles. Maybe she was ashamed of her reaction. I get the sillies sometimes too. Oh, well. They say the average person has the emotional intelligence of a six year old. Have you met some one still in their 'terrible twos'? I get that way sometimes too. Ha.

A couple of tricks it took me forever to learn is listening to my intuition instead of my loud thoughts and being reactionary and the other is emotional intelligence. Hope that helps some and is not too far off.

http://www.google.com/search?q=emotional+intellige...

Actually, on reflection, I think you are probably sort of right. A couple of professors said that they learn more from their students than they teach them. That doesn't make a teacher feel very secure. Especially professors with tenure seem to try to intimidate their students to keep some semblance of being wise to justify the exorbitant price you have to pay to listen to what is all to often their nonsense rather than sense. Then too we are all dumb about some things, maybe most things. It's tough to loose the respect of your students. Students can shoot you down in a minute and keep trying. I suppose you can get an attitude. Most people aren't that emotionally stable themselves.

You can almost see what I mean about their negative thoughts coming out. They probably go home and complain about students and not handling things in their thinking affects their work. Ah, saints their not.

Interesting question. How complex we are.

Have you noticed that we compete for status sometimes more than for money? It seems like we have a self esteem crisis. What can you do? But emotional intelligence claims that, with it, you will be able to handle your own emotions and other people's too. Not a bad goal, really. In fact I can make the mood now, instead of being a victim of others, like the media even. (Not that I can affect the media.) Your good attitude can up the spirits of everyone, including you. Something like that, really. It all becomes for the good and they get to like students, instead of fear them or try to keep too much a false distance. This is not a classless society. I just let people think they are superior while I just think they are cute. Like little children, you know. They/we are.

Well, a couple of thoughts crossed my mind. First is what one responder alluded to: sometimes things just seem overly funny. There may have been something earlier in the day, you probably will never know. Profs are people too, and you never know how her day/week/life has played out lately.

The fact that you had to SAY that you were not 40 may very well be what tipped her over the laughter "edge of the cliff". I assume it is pretty obvious that you are not.

So just pull up your big girl panties and soldier on. The more you respond with dignity and the less you are concerned about this incident, the more mature you will seem and will be.

Why would you worry if she laughed or didn't? If she thought a 20 year old telling people that she wasn't 40 is funny it's no big deal. Learn to laugh along you'll do better in life.

When you are caught in that kind of situation, ask the person (your professor) what he thinks about what you just said. That will make other stop, think and listen. Say it in a way that you wont sound rude since you are just a student. Ask like "do you agree Mam?" "what do you think sir?"...

Don't be so paranoid. Obviously something happened elsewhere in the room that was funny/shocking/embarrassing. Nothing to do with you. Let it go. Paranoia doesn't become the young.

I feel very sure that what happened had nothing to do with you or your words. I think that as you were talking something happened in the back of the room that embarrassed her. This is why she covered up her face.

Probably not. Teachers and such do laugh. Many times it is about someone else's reaction. But I never laughed at someone, but I did laugh with them.

I find nothing humorous about what that you said.

It is worth note that small-minded people are pervasive throughout society - even in academia.

--Please pardon my expressed contempt.

You're OK, sweetie.

{{{HUG}}}

What you said was so obvious it made her laugh...it sounded as tho you felt she was ancient....so? why dwell on it. she probably loved it, it gave her a break in her day.

Good for you,