Maybe it is frightening to think that they don't understand because if they (a therapist) doesn't or can't then what hope is there for us being understood? Maybe... We simply aren't understandable after all...

> almost whenever I say something that he regards as "wrong," he tries to "correct" me. He cannot let it go, even temporarily.

That would hurt / annoy the hell out of me.

Especially when it comes to emotional responses. Sometimes our emotional responses are outside our cognitive control. You might well know (on a particular occasion) that people aren't trying to hurt you. Unfortunately, that often does little to alleviate ones fears.

Maybe... You are afraid of people and you are projecting your fear of yourself onto him a little (in thinking that he is afraid of you)? Just a thought...

> This reminds me of something that happened to me quite a few years ago. I was walking in a parklike area near where I lived, and a blue jay started squawking at me. It occurred to me how ineffective the blue jay's attempts at defense really were. What could a small bird do to a threatening predator of my size just by its small voice? Not much, really, if I, the predator, realized how small the bird really was. Its actions served more to address its emotional needs than to rectify the actual situation (if I had been a real threat).

Maybe... The Jay was distracting you from its nest?

Just a thought...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts :-)