Really? Do You Realize I’m Not Listening?
It always seems crazy to me when I come across people who love to hear themselves talk. They talk, talk, talk, blah blah blah but nothing actually comes out.
I can’t even believe when people who talk too much think I am actually listening to them. I try to train people to keep it quick and to the point but that doesn’t always work.
I recently had a coworker corner me and start in on some dumbass crap that I couldn't have cared less about. I remember drifting in and out and the only thing I took away from the conversation (if you can even call it a conversation since it was only one-sided) was that I wanted to poke pencils into my ears to stop the noise that was coming out of their mouth. They kept moving from subject to subject and I kept trying to get away but couldn’t.
When I tuned in again, I heard them ask me, “What do you think I should do?” Crap. I have no idea. My first thought was to tell them to find the nearest chipper and jump into it. Ok, probably not appropriate. So instead I just stared at them for a bit and then walked away. No harm done, right? They probably think I’m a freak show but that’s ok, most people already do.
My favorite quote: “Wise people speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something."