First: I have no idea how to shrink photos to make an avatar. Shameful am I.
Second, and more seriously:
You know, lately this seems to be coming up more and more often - people seem to think I'm this evil, condescending bitch who doesn't care if she hurts anyone's feelings.
That bothers me, because it's wrong. I am a caring person, I just don't show it in the 'traditionally feminine' way: I'm not going to cry simply because that person over there is crying. I tend to be stoic. I am generally undemonstrative. I am generally hard to read. This doesn't mean I don't care about others, or their feelings. It just means as a person who is very sensitive, I have to be careful how much energy I want to invest in others' emotional things, because I have my own emotional things. I have to deal with losing my grandmother, who was my closest friend. She died a few years ago, but that hit hard. It's still fresh. I cannot afford to get bogged down with other people to the extent that I forget to take care of my own emotional needs. I can't always be wise. I can't always be gentle and nurturing, though I try my best. It just doesn't come out the way others want it to.
I'm grumpy. I'm tired. But nine times out of ten, if someone asks me to do something specific, like pick up something for them, if I can, I will. If I can't, I'll say no, I can't.
Anyway. The point of this whole long winded thing is, why is it that people /hate/ it when I'm straightforward with them, and get offended when I won't do something that compromises my principles simply because it'll make them feel better?
Second, and more seriously:
You know, lately this seems to be coming up more and more often - people seem to think I'm this evil, condescending bitch who doesn't care if she hurts anyone's feelings.
That bothers me, because it's wrong. I am a caring person, I just don't show it in the 'traditionally feminine' way: I'm not going to cry simply because that person over there is crying. I tend to be stoic. I am generally undemonstrative. I am generally hard to read. This doesn't mean I don't care about others, or their feelings. It just means as a person who is very sensitive, I have to be careful how much energy I want to invest in others' emotional things, because I have my own emotional things. I have to deal with losing my grandmother, who was my closest friend. She died a few years ago, but that hit hard. It's still fresh. I cannot afford to get bogged down with other people to the extent that I forget to take care of my own emotional needs. I can't always be wise. I can't always be gentle and nurturing, though I try my best. It just doesn't come out the way others want it to.
I'm grumpy. I'm tired. But nine times out of ten, if someone asks me to do something specific, like pick up something for them, if I can, I will. If I can't, I'll say no, I can't.
Anyway. The point of this whole long winded thing is, why is it that people /hate/ it when I'm straightforward with them, and get offended when I won't do something that compromises my principles simply because it'll make them feel better?
< fluffy bit 
Having people like that in my life has taught me to be more open and expressive with my affections because I feel like to a point I was just afraid to be that way. Obviously putting yourself out there like that leaves you much more open to being hurt. That being said, as much as I've opened up I know that I'll never be that type of personality completely, because to a degree that's just who I am and there's nothing wrong with that. 
Some people are naturally more inclined to be quiet and just sit back and observe. They're not afraid to be alone with their own thoughts. That weirds the hell out of other people 
