![]() These are all tactics that I've used myself, or had used on me, and I've never had any offended replies to it. If you don't feel like talking about that topic, the three main things to do are to reply with a single one-word reply, such as "Cool!" or "Interesting!" you can reply with a random topic that you are personally interested in of your own or you can get into the meta-information - such as asking how the person knows that, or where they read it, etc. So to avoid offending the person who's giving you random facts, reply with anything that doesn't dismiss / put down the person. ![]() And people like to share these random tidbits with people - at least for me, they're a way of connecting with people. For example, Scarlett Johansson is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, and the "J" in her last name isn't pronounced with a "Y" sound. What you don't seem to grasp is that people like learning random things, even if they're not directly relevant to them. What exactly you reply isn't the most important bit, it's just responding with something that doesn't put down the other person. It really doesn't matter to me all that much. They could go "Cool!" or "Interesting!", they can reply with a random fact of their own, they can go "Mhh-hmm", they can ask how I know that. When I'm the one spurting random facts, what the other person says, as long as it's not outright dismissive, isn't all that important. Not everybody, though - in which case I'll often have to come up with a topic that I am actually interested in to talk about. A lot of people are perfectly willing to just talk and talk to someone who just occasionally replies with one-word replies. ![]() Immediately afterwards, you can change the topic to something else - such as bringing up something on your own, or, if you're the introvert-hanging-out-with-extroverts type, let the person you're with come up with their own next topic. As long as you manage to keep a sarcastic tone out of your voice, this should be fine. If someone has just told me something, but I don't really know much about it or don't want to really discuss the topic, what I'll do is just reply with a "Cool!" or "Interesting!" one-word reply. (I read a lot, and surf the internet, so I'll often just spout the latest thing I was looking into.) On the other hand, if it's someone with whom I'm comfortable with, then I'll be the one spurting these random facts. I'm a socially awkward person who often doesn't care to participate in the small talk of those people around me. How can I resolve the situation after offending him, so I can feel safe again? How do I answer in a non-offensive way (to not put him off in the first place)? But when asking him, how would be a better way to reply (better meaning keeping the conversation positive or at least neutral and moving), he would reply "That's just how you are and I have to deal with it." I did state that I would prefer to not offend him/get on his wrong side, because I am kind of emotionally dependent on him at the moment and it makes me feel really bad/anxious. It took me a long time to find out, that it's my kind of response that puts him off and I can also see that it probably would put other people off. When a situation as described above occurs, he would stop talking or only reply in a resigned way. Now I'm in his country and don't have any of my own friends, which is why his approval of me has become a lot more important. ![]() We have an intercultural relationship, which was long-distance for a long time. I'm not sure if this problem is actually this simple, because I basically only have arguments over this when it happens with my partner. I'd like to know how to answer sentences like these, when I actually don't know how to reply and the question "So what?" or "Why would you ask/say that?" just pops up in my head. I'm not answering in an annoyed tone more like a joking tone, but I can see, that the other person would still consider me rude. Person: I just read that actor is born in town X. I've discovered that when I have a conversation with someone, I sometimes answer in a somehow offensive way. ![]()
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