[freehunter]

Not to mention that using clear concise language is sometimes not socially acceptable. Saying "The expected outcome of this conversation is for you to agree to have sexual relations with me" is likely going to be far less effective than just sending a smirking face emoji. It might even get you slapped or blocked. Sometimes the less said, the better.

Likewise, saying the words "yes I like that" is very different than sending a thumbs up emoji. Like you said, emoji is blurry, and clear concise language can often portray ideas that you'd rather not get into. Saying that I like something is a strong positive indicator. Maybe my feelings aren't that firm. Should I then say "yes, that's acceptable"? But then the person might feel hurt that their idea is merely acceptable. Maybe I should say "yes, I like that to an extent but I don't like it that strongly at all", but that implies I have reasons to not like it, which may not be the case. Sending a thumbs up emoji is just simple approval and nothing more. My wife made a dinner I enjoyed but didn't love. The best way to say that I didn't hate eating it but also didn't think it was the greatest meal ever is just a simple thumbs up, preferably with my mouth full of food so she doesn't ask for me to verbally explain how I feel about it.

I know this all really sucks for people who are not good at picking up on non-verbal social cues or various types of irony (including sarcasm), but human emotion is sometimes difficult to express in clear, concise language. You always have the option of asking the person what they meant, especially if you explain that you're bad at subtle communications.

[sametmax]

I was very bad at picking up non verbal clues myself. Like every thibg else you can learn it. But first you must accept irrationality in your life. After that social life gets much easier.