THE WORLD ON PAPER
The English language is the only language in the world that relies as much on tone and inflection for the meaning as it does the written words.
Good writers will add a lot of graphics and colorful language to their text to get their point across thereby painting a mental image in their reader's minds. In the written language it's amazing that we ever get a point made that we can agree on. This is where the problem lies, which leads to misunderstanding the written word.
I read what it said, therefore it said what I read? No, not necessarily. Now, go one step further and ask.. Is what you read, what the writer said? When anyone writes, they insert these inflections into their words while writing, either consciously or subconsciously, but we all do it.
The problem lies in the fact that these inflections do not always carry over to the reader. These inflections are then re-inserted by the reader based on how they interpret what they've read. When we do not apply the same inflections and meanings as the writer used, all to often confusion or misunderstandings occures.
Your writing should be clear and concise, because you will not be available to clarify to your readers what you were trying to say. In the written word, your text is a reflection of your thinking. Sometimes you are lucky and are able to ask the writer questions and find out the true meaning of his/her words.
Sometimes I think, before we jump to conclusions we need to try out a few different inflections to a passage and see which one has the best fit. That's not to say you will be right, but at least you've allowed yourself to apply other possibilities to what you are reading. The world on paper is such an amazing place.