What do you do if...

Springcurl · 07-10-2012, 02:32 PM

You don't want to spend two hours with someone listening to them talk only about themselves but at the same time you don't really have anything particularly interesting in your life to change the subject to?

spiderlashes5000 · 07-10-2012, 02:37 PM

"I spy with my little eye...something purple" LOL

rouquinne · 07-10-2012, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Springcurl

You don't want to spend two hours with someone listening to them talk only about themselves but at the same time you don't really have anything particularly interesting in your life to change the subject to?

OMG! spring, have you been spying on my life????

i have two acquaintances who can go on and on and on and on about themselves ad nauseum that i have not seen or spoken to in months. within the past week, both of them have contacted me (fortunately, i was 700km away last week and could legitimately put them off) and want me to call/get together to hear all about what is happening with them.

and i DON'T WANNA!!!!

but... i have nothing going on in my life...

*sigh*

claudine19 · 07-10-2012, 02:44 PM

I get the hell out of there, regardless.

iroc · 07-10-2012, 02:56 PM

Eventually let the friendship taper off.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using CurlTalk App

Springcurl · 07-10-2012, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rouquinne

Quote:

Originally Posted by Springcurl

You don't want to spend two hours with someone listening to them talk only about themselves but at the same time you don't really have anything particularly interesting in your life to change the subject to?

OMG! spring, have you been spying on my life????

i have two acquaintances who can go on and on and on and on about themselves ad nauseum that i have not seen or spoken to in months. within the past week, both of them have contacted me (fortunately, i was 700km away last week and could legitimately put them off) and want me to call/get together to hear all about what is happening with them.

and i DON'T WANNA!!!!

but... i have nothing going on in my life...

*sigh*

GAHHH!!

Yeah this is what I mean exactly. Part of me feels like I should listen because (1) she is clearly excited about what's happening to her and (2) I think she talks to me more than any other friend because we travel together and she wants to share her life with me and (3) WTH do I have going on?

But last on the last 6 miles of our trip she said, "By the way, I'm very aware that I've done nothing but talk about boys for the past hour." Then she continued talking about boys.

Nej · 07-10-2012, 03:20 PM

Smile and nod

Sent from my iPhone - blame autocorrect for everything strange

Springcurl · 07-10-2012, 03:34 PM

I'm going to try something like this:

1) Get in the car with her tonight, let her tell me about her weekend.
2) Talk about our game on Saturday and what time we're leaving, have to be there, etc.
3) Tell her about the raw milk I bought and hope it leads into a discussion of raw vs. pasturized milk.
4) Mention that Philip Seymour Hoffman has been hired to star in the next two Hunger Games movies

I might have to plan something out every time we travel together. (she's a semi-friend. We will have dinner or go out to a movie occasionally, but we're on the same roller derby team-- which is 35 miles to our practice space-- and we live a block away from each other, so it just makes sense to carpool)

spiderlashes5000 · 07-10-2012, 03:42 PM

What I think is even worse than this is when someone spends 2 hrs relentlessly talking about her husband's career. Esp, when it's in a field that doesn't interest me. OMG!

I mean, I could handle it a little better if it were her own career bc she is personally invested in it and is completely knowlegeable about it.

But what is the need to discuss his career...his office politics and how he landed the big promotion and what he thinks are the best incentives to motivate his subordinates??? OMG! Shoot me, plz.

LAwoman · 07-10-2012, 03:49 PM

I seriously can't stand people like that.

I would make up an excuse to drive separately. It would be worth the extra $$ in gas, to me.

claudine19 · 07-10-2012, 04:10 PM

I would get cranky.

Unless there's an element of wondering in all of it, in a philosophical sense, such as, "Why does it take so much to motivate some people?" I'd be riding a bummer by the end of the drive.

Spider · 07-10-2012, 04:22 PM

Start charging her by the hour; clearly she is getting therapy from the gab sessions

RedCatWaves · 07-10-2012, 06:07 PM

Ugh...sounds like my mother. Blah blah blah, me me me...

No advice. I avoid her as much as possible, but she is my mother, so I endure when I have to.

LadyV69 · 07-10-2012, 07:31 PM

I was able to tolerate behavior like that better when I was younger, but I had less self esteem then and felt that I had little to offer. These days, if the person has no interest in hearing about what's going on in my life, I avoid them as much as possible.

roseannadana · 07-10-2012, 07:40 PM

I have two friends that only want to talk about themselves. It's funny because they can't stand each other because "she only talks about herself!"

There is no subject that they cannot manipulate back to themselves!

Munchy · 07-11-2012, 10:59 AM

My ex-husband used to explain mechanics to me for hours, but he always asked me if I was bored. I strangely liked to hear about exhaust manifolds and lateral run out. LMAO!

However, if there was someone that was boring me in a car trip, I'd just put on my iPod or pretend I was sleeping.

Devushka · 07-11-2012, 11:06 AM

Oh my goodness, you probably do have stuff going on in your life that you could talk about (I think for some of us, since it is OUR lives, we don't think it's a big deal to others). You definitely have interests -- List them in your head beforehand and think about what you'd share with someone about these different things if you had the chance. When you get together with your friend, that's one chance. And btw, talking about what's going on in the news counts! If there are news stories that you're following, then that's part of what "going on in your life" simply because it's of interest to you.

claudine19 · 07-11-2012, 12:30 PM

I agree with pretending to fall asleep.

Or look out the window and stop paying attention (don't reply to any questions), so she gets the hint.

Springcurl · 07-11-2012, 01:12 PM

I stuck to my plan and that worked. It's pathetically sad, truthfully. Like, she's been dating this guy for about 2 months and she told me yesterday she's happier than she's ever been in her life. She's 37. Two months.

I can only hope for her sake that he's as into her as she is with him.

Josephine · 07-11-2012, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiderlashes5000

What I think is even worse than this is when someone spends 2 hrs relentlessly talking about her husband's career. Esp, when it's in a field that doesn't interest me. OMG!

I mean, I could handle it a little better if it were her own career bc she is personally invested in it and is completely knowlegeable about it.

But what is the need to discuss his career...his office politics and how he landed the big promotion and what he thinks are the best incentives to motivate his subordinates??? OMG! Shoot me, plz.

Yes my ex would talk to me a lot about his sister's husbands career and it was annoying because that's all she would talk about with him. What about her career? Both are doctors but she stayed home for almost 3 years after the first one was born and her hubbie specialized so he's making way more but still. All she would talk about was her son or her husband. It was extremely boring. I wanted to get her something for her bday one year and realized I knew nothing about her.