I don't mind vs. I don't care

[Tait-ka]

[Dialogue 1]
Judy: Your shoes don’t match your dress.
Mary: I don’t mind.

In the dialogue above, “I don’t mind” implies “Thank you for telling me, but it doesn’t matter.”

[Dialogue 2]
Karen: Your shoes don’t match your dress.
Susan: I don’t care.

In the dialogue above, “I don’t care” implies “I am annoyed that you told me.”


Is the explanation above correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

No. It doesn't express annoyance. It merely indicates a slightly higher level of disinterest in the topic than "I don't mind".

 

[Tait-ka]

No. It doesn't express annoyance. It merely indicates a slightly higher level of disinterest in the topic than "I don't mind".

Right. Is Mary's use of "I don't mind" and Susan's use of "I don't care" in dialogue 1 and 2 respectively correct?

 

[jutfrank]

Right. Is Mary's use of "I don't mind" and Susan's use of "I don't care" in dialogue 1 and 2 respectively correct?

No, only Susan's answer fits the context well.

I don't care = I am not concerned that other people may see a problem

Susan is saying that she doesn't care about what other people think about the mismatch. There's no sign of annoyance at Judy, or gratitude for having been told.

The response 'I don't mind' is very different in use:

I don't mind = what you propose is acceptable to me

It's often used to grant permission or generally express acceptance of a proposed action. Example:

A: Do you mind if I open the window?
B: No, I don't mind.

Obviously, Judy is not asking for permission or acceptance from Mary, so Mary's answer doesn't work.