I am a big man?

As I was told at the office last Friday, by a senior Thai staff - You think you are a big man.  He was not referring to my size but my sense of self-importance. And he was not giving me a compliment but speaking out of anger.  How did it get to this? 

I am not sure actually as I just go along, doing my work and fulfilling my responsibilities as best I can.   In last Friday's conversation, the level of angst escalated after I used the word "big" to refer to my having a big picture of needs in the workplace.  From there, my colleague used "big" to refer to level of seniority and importance which was never my intent. 

In part, I would identify this as being yet another experience of Thailand that tells you that no matter how long you are here, you will never really understand what you are in the midst of.  Even after over 11 years here, I am still taken aback by what I experience and lack a real understanding of what is going on around me.  Like the Trinity, Thais are a mystery.  But is it rocket science?

Maybe it is the experience of this part of the world or maybe it is just humanity at play.  We are all a mystery for my Thai counterpart did say that he just did not understand westerners and that all westerners are arrogant.  From my experience here, I (and other westerners) could make the same reflection in return on Thais.  So maybe it is that as humanity we so fail to understand others who are perceived to be different or maybe worse - a threat.  Then what comes to mind are the words of a mentor - Don't try to understand or explain here. Just accept.   Good advice but here I am being so me, trying to put together what happened and understand so that I can deal with what I face.

I will not go into a blow by blow description as this is not a verbatim for some clinical course.  However, I will share the logic the Thai guy used to present his side of his experience of me in the office.  It is such Thai logic which so ever intrigues me.  Here is a bland, logical summary as I heard the case being presented against me.
A)  There is Thailand and then the rest of the world.
B)  The rest of the world is to blame for the woes experienced here.  
A + B = C.
C)  I am to blame for what is upsetting the Thai person.
Welcome to Thailand! 

This may be enough to digest for now.