Some people aren’t confused about you. They’re committed to misunderstanding you. Stop mailing explanations.

Clarifying works when the other person wants to understand. When they do not, every explanation becomes fresh material, and you find yourself negotiating with someone who decided long ago. The exhausting part is that you keep assuming the problem is your phrasing, so you try again with better words. The words were never the issue.

Ask yourself whether your explanations have ever changed anything with this particular person. If the record says no, stop sending them and give that energy to people who ask you questions. Being misread by someone determined to misread you is survivable.