lightningandsnow
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:10 AM
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What do you say to people who constantly talk about inane things you have no interest in? |
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I have a friend who does this all the time.
Even worse, he gets dismissive when I try to talk about anything that actually affects me.
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Danger Mouse
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:13 AM
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I don't talk to them. Period. |
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I'm totally serious about that.
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Skittles
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:13 AM
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Aristus
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:14 AM
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2. "Honey, I'm trying to sleep..." |
Flaxbee
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:14 AM
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Aristus
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:16 AM
Response to Reply #4 |
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...do it again... :evilgrin:
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Mopar151
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:15 AM
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SeattleGirl
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:14 AM
Response to Original message |
3. I try to stay away from those people. I can't stand those kinds of |
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"conversations" except in small dribs and drabs.
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gratuitous
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Wed Nov-04-09 01:09 AM
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7. Welcome to the Lounge? |
Tommy_Carcetti
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Wed Nov-04-09 10:17 AM
Response to Reply #7 |
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You stole my joke.
Well, kudos to you, my friend.
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mcctatas
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Wed Nov-04-09 01:22 AM
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now take your clothes off" :evilgrin:
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haele
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Wed Nov-04-09 01:57 AM
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9. I always introduce myself like this - |
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Hi, I'm Haele - sometimes I'm a bit of a chatterbox, especially when I'm board or upset. Feel free to tell me it's all right to shut up now when it gets too bad. I won't take it personally.
Haele
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fizzgig
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:05 PM
Response to Reply #9 |
21. i've made that same disclaimer |
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i can be obnoxiously chatty at times
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theNotoriousP.I.G.
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Wed Nov-04-09 05:51 AM
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10. I had a friend like that once |
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she would call me and yammer on about what a deal she got at Fingerhut for 4 towels, gossip about her 15,000 cousins and the ups and downs of their lives. I didn't know any of these people from a fucking can of corn either. Then caller ID was invented and that put an end to that.
If your not getting anything out of your friendship with this guy then I guess it's pretty clear what you need to do, especially if he acts dismissively towards you.
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cleveramerican
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Wed Nov-04-09 05:55 AM
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11. "good luck with all of that!" |
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or.... "let me know how that works out for you"
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Callalily
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Wed Nov-04-09 06:02 AM
Response to Original message |
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a problem, especially if that person is your brother, as in my case. I love him dearly, but he comes up with the wackiest, unsubstantiated stuff.
I try to change the subject, sometimes it works, sometimes not.
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vadawg
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Wed Nov-04-09 06:06 AM
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13. ok mr congressman ill vote for you, or yes senator etc etc :) |
cleveramerican
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Wed Nov-04-09 06:07 AM
Response to Original message |
14. " I just swallowed a bug" |
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I swiped it from "Good Will Hunting"
No one will ever question you.. or continue talking to you.... try it.. it works like a charm.
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HopeHoops
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Wed Nov-04-09 07:55 AM
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15. Interrupt with, "I love to go to laundromats and tell fortunes reading dirty underwear stains" |
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"There was this one pair that was really interesting..."
Keep making shit up (pun intended) until he makes an excuse to leave.
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Patiod
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Wed Nov-04-09 09:04 AM
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16. I had a colleague like that |
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We all suspected he had Asperger's. He was a rabid baseball fan, a former New Yorker, and OBSESSED by the Yankees. When he found out I had Phillies season tickets, he was always buttonholing me.
I simply said: "Greg, I don't follow the American League. I know you like to complain about the Yankees, and what they did last night, but I dont' watch AL games, and don't know anything about the players you're talking about. If you want to talk about how the Phils did last night, fine. But NO YANKEES TALK? Okay?"
Sometimes people are just clueless, and a simple "That's not a topic I know anything about or have any interest in, but what about X (a topic you do have an interest in)" is effective
(Geez, now I wished I still worked there and had him to share MY complaints about the Yankees)
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crim son
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Wed Nov-04-09 09:12 AM
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17. I limit my contact with them |
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not only to preserve my sanity, but to avoid the possibility that they notice how boring I find them to be.
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mentalsolstice
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Wed Nov-04-09 11:35 AM
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19. Uh-oh, you said the word "inane" |
applegrove
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:04 PM
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20. Doesn't sound like a very good friend. |
NJmaverick
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:06 PM
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22. Why are they your friend? |
mitchum
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:12 PM
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23. Unfortunately, most conversations are inane |
Blue-Jay
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:40 PM
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24. I say "Welcome to the DU Lounge!" |
TommyO
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Wed Nov-04-09 12:41 PM
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Not that I would ever do that to her face.
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pitohui
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Wed Nov-04-09 02:18 PM
Response to Original message |
26. if they're constantly talking i don't have to |
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if it's some situation where you can't leave (work, marriage, etc.) just nodding and saying "oh yeah, no kidding, me too" or some such babble once in awhile works just fine while you continue to go abt your business
if it's some situation where it's silly NOT to leave -- a "friend" but now the friend bores you and you have nothing in common, not sure why you wouldn't just quietly cut the cord, it's easy to stop taking calls and to block email and pretty much ignore people these days, if nothing else, there's always the "well, can't talk now, have an appointment/caller on the other line bye"
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Arkansas Granny
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Wed Nov-04-09 02:53 PM
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27. Yeah, uh-huh, is that right?, OK, yeah, oh really, uh-huh, I see . . . . |
TK421
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Wed Nov-04-09 02:58 PM
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28. I start screaming wildly and start swatting at things that aren't there |
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works when I'm in large crowds and people insist on not moving
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Chan790
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Wed Nov-04-09 03:07 PM
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29. I don't have that problem... |
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I refuse to be friends with people who say inane things like "How about that weather?" or "How about those Mets?" or "NJ Governor-elect Chris Christie is one sexy Christ-filled man." (I did admittedly ask if it was the creamy or chunky Christ filling.)
I tend to scream Dylan Thomas's famous words "Rage! Rage against the dying of the light!" and run away. You can say a lot of things about me but that I'm inane or boring is not one of them. Insane...yes.
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charlie and algernon
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Wed Nov-04-09 03:09 PM
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30. I had a "friend" who use to IM me within minutes of whenever she logged on |
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then she would proceed to gossip/grip/etc about people and events that not only had no bearing on me, I hadn't the slightest idea who they were. I'd get these looooong IMs detailing her life. Yet as soon as I started to update her with what I was doing, her end would go quiet and the conversation would end. lol
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Broken_Hero
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Fri Nov-06-09 02:57 AM
Response to Reply #30 |
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a lot of details about her cat, and what her cat was currently doing, what her cat did in the not so distant past, and what she plans to do with the cat later on that day, what she plans on feeding her cat later on, and telling me about all the updates on said cats myspace page.
It gets tedious sometimes...
:hide:
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unpossibles
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Wed Nov-04-09 03:35 PM
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31. it's similar to how one deals with unwanted affections from a cat.... |
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You need to make them want to not want to talk to you.
Start saying crazy non sequiturs and if they something awful, start laughing maniacally - if they say something warm and heartwarming, proclaim "how dreadful!"
Or, no matter what they say, start talking about your houseplants/cats/children's ______/bowel movements/episiotomy scar tissue/sinus infections/murder convictions/pustules or whatever topic you think they won't have in common, and talk about nothing else.
Trust me; they will stop talking to you. I did this to this guy who always wanted to talk about Jesus and football, two things I usually avoid. At first, I politely told him that I did not watch sports and am not religious, but this obvious hint was too subtle, so I had to ramp it up a notch.
This also can work with people hitting on you, btw.
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Joe the Liberal
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Wed Nov-04-09 08:59 PM
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32. My brother does that..... |
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and it is very annoying, he's a complete conspiracy nut of the Alex Jones brand so he's always coming up and telling me the newest wackjob conspiracy theory of the week. I've told him over and over again that he is an idiot and that I just don't care.
When he comes in and starts running off at the mouth about things I have no interest in I basically just ignore him until he stops talking and then say "Wow that's very interesting, I really don't give a shit so go tell it to someone who cares" and then I just walk away.
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AlienGirl
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Thu Nov-05-09 01:51 PM
Response to Reply #32 |
34. With the wacky conspiracy babblers, I politely ask penetrating questions |
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I ask for sources, ask how the sources were verified, and poke at any areas that seem patently impossible or absurd. I try to find ways to get them to ask themselves why they believe what they believe, and try to lead them toward doing some reality-checking. Directly challenging delusional thought processes will reinforce the delusions, but encouraging reality testing and openness to questioning can eventually reduce the attachment to the delusion.
Tucker
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Ineeda
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Thu Nov-05-09 09:40 AM
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33. Three brothers (can't choose your family) |
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Oldest brother - NASCAR or other car-related stuff, non-stop. A sweetheart. Middle brother - me-me-me, narcissistic crapola. A sociopath, I think. Youngest brother - horror movies, the gorier the better. Uber gentle. Weird, I know. Thank dog for sisters.
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AlienGirl
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Thu Nov-05-09 01:55 PM
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35. I listen and try to understand it and why it matters to them |
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It relieves me of having to think of something to say besides "Oh, fascinating" or "Uh huh...and then what?" And I learn more about the person, and sometimes about a topic that I can use in future conversations with other people.
Tucker
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Boojatta
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Thu Nov-05-09 02:08 PM
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PVnRT
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Thu Nov-05-09 03:34 PM
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37. Scream "EVERYBODY DOWN!" and tackle them |
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Then yell "TAG, YOU'RE IT" and run off.
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Odin2005
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Thu Nov-05-09 05:26 PM
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38. I AM the person that goes on about things that bore people to death! |
DeposeTheBoyKing
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Thu Nov-05-09 05:40 PM
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39. Calvin Coolidge: "If you keep dead still they'll run down in three or four minutes." |
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And that is the ONLY time I will EVER quote a Republican!
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midnight armadillo
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Thu Nov-05-09 10:36 PM
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40. I spray them with fox urine. |
Swede
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Thu Nov-05-09 10:48 PM
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41. I'm sorry,I wasn't listening. |
GOPisEvil
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Thu Nov-05-09 10:56 PM
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42. I hide in shadows, with a high-powered rifle, which speaks for me. |
NNadir
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Thu Nov-05-09 11:01 PM
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43. Well usually I stay in another room when my son's girlfriend's Mom comes over to pick her daughter |
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up.
I, um, mean ex-girlfriend!
:fistbump:
Actually, the girlfriend wasn't all that bad, but her mother...
Oh geeze, I can't take that woman...
But I bit my tongue and said nothing.
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astral
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Fri Nov-06-09 02:34 AM
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44. Okay, Okay! I won't call you anymore! |
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