Ok, today I go in for my weekly therapist appointment, and sitting in the waiting room is this middle-aged lady with a pile of plastic bags at her feet. I pick up a magazine and block out her presence like I do with the rest of the human race. A minute later she says, “I’m sorry about chewing gum, is it bothering you?” Well, no it ain’t lady, but you asking me about it is. She asked a couple more questions and anyone with half a brain would figure out that my refusal to respond was a clear indication that I was NOT interested in talking to her.
Then she asks, “Are you schizophrenic?” I just about blew up. I say, “I don’t like talking, so just shut the fuck up okay??” Hmm, what would be a reasonable response for her? How about…“Why don’t you like talking?” Luckily, my doc called me in right then or else I would have gone off on how nice it would be to see her children minced into dog food and she might have even gotten a nice splash of scalding hot coffee in her face.
Why is it that some people feel the absolute need to strike up a conversation with complete strangers? Granted, this lady was obviously a looney toon (she was a patient of one of the other therapists in the office, and my doc thinks she’s homeless) but I run into these people all the time. Look, if I wanna socialize, I’ll go to a nightclub or a party, not while standing in line at the grocery checkout. SO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!
Dude, lighten up…it’s okay to strike up a conversation with people you don’t know. Does it matter that you were in a therapists office or in a nightclub? In my eyes, no.
It’s attitudes like yours that make me sad for the human race. For all you know she’s a lonely woman who has little contact with people and wants to engage in a nice conversation. There are many in this world that don’t have much opportunity to converse with other people, rather than get pissy you might try a couple of things:
You could have, rather than blow up over it, asked her that you are engrossed in a magazine article and would like to finish it before your appointment.
Or gone with the obvious attempts for her to engage in being friendly. Most of people that strike up a little chit chat with strangers are very nice people.
Actually, I agree with JET - that woman obviously had something wrong with her. What normal person strikes up a conversation with an obvious psychopath?
After having read some of your posts, I tend to agree. From what I can tell, you seem to be nothing more than a testicle with an internet connection.
Maybe you ought to make more frequent visits to your therapist, or ask to increase the dosage or something. But you probably couldn’t actually stand the thought of being well-adjusted, could you? It’s so prosaic. Life is pain, right? Yeah, keep on cultivating that high school-mentality whiney-ass bullshit existentialism, man. It certainly seems to be serving you well. Donkey.
While I’m not one of JET’s biggest fans, I think that this is the crucial point here. He made it clear that he wasn’t interested in conversation, but she was persistent. I’d say that SHE was clearly the person in the wrong here. It’s not nice to try to force someone to interact with you. Even if she has little human contact, that doesn’t give her the right to intrude upon other people when they wish to be left alone.
And yeah, I admit, I’m this way too. It might be that I am thinking Deep Thoughts. It might be that I’m in a lot of pain at the time, and the only thing that’s keeping me from lashing out at people is constant concentration. Or it might be that I’m reviewing my concerns and symptoms for the doctor, and I don’t want my train of thought broken (this is different than Deep Thoughts). I might be trying to work up a mental shopping list. Or it might just be that I don’t WANT to engage in idle chatter at the moment. I realize that some people think that this is somehow unAmerican, but that’s me. And, as long as I’m not really bothering other people, I think that I have a right to be me. Not responding to other people is not actively bothering them.
Low marks–it simply tries too hard to be a rant. Ramps up too quickly, and building up is especially important if outrage over trivial things is to be the focus. The other problem with not taking any time to build intensity is that it leaves no resolution; the brief sprint is spastic, and staggers to an undignified, gasping end. But Rome didn’t collapse in a lead-besotted orgy in a day either (or at all), so keep at it.
WHAT THE BLOODY HELL…is it part of the social contract that I MUST engage in conversation with every worthless lifeform that demands my attention???
If I wanna talk to somebody, I’ll go someplace where people are SUPPOSED to be sociable. If I get dragged to a bar when I’m not in the fucking mood I’ll still talk to people, maybe not enthusiastically but at least I’ll make the effort. The least society as a whole can do for me is stay out of my fucking face when I don’t want you there.
I could give a flying fuck if that baglady were really lonely and homeless. In fact I wish I lived in Duluth or someplace where there’s a reasonable expectation that she’ll freeze to fucking death next winter. There are TOO MANY PEOPLE on this planet by a factor of 2 to 3 billion, and when society as a whole finally figures that out and starts culling the chaff, she’ll be first in the giant pyre anyways. I’ll pitchfork her body into the flames myself, if I get the chance.
I know this sucks as a rant. It’s been a long, long week and I’m tired. Flame all you want, I could care less.
[sub](Yes, “could care less” is correct. If you don’t think so, fuck you.)[/sub]
I think I’m going to be the odd man out this time and say that I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with Mr. Evil Twin’s attitude. I take it that very few of you feel the all-too-human emotion known as “frustration”?
As for you, Jeremy… I would suggest investing in some form of portable music player. People are less inclined to try to speak to you if you have a pair of headphones covering your ears.
I understand what Lynn is saying. True, the bizzarely psychotic overreaction of the OP (scalding hot coffee in the face?) was childish and stupid but the woman obviously wasn’t taking a hint. Yes, she may have been mentally unbalanced (I say “may” because going to a therapist doesn’t automatically mean you’re insane–fits for the OP, perhaps, but not a universal truth.) but that doesn’t excuse her completely.
Although, the fact that she actually asked a perfect stranger if he was “schizophrenic” leads me to believe she either wasn’t really boned up on her social interaction etiquette or was mentally incapable of understanding how rude that was.
But anyway, if you’re sitting in a therapist’s waiting room, you pretty much have to prepare yourself for the different kinds of personalities that you might encounter.
I’m gonna chime in on Jeremy’s side, too. There are many times when I simply do not want to talk. To anyone. High up on that list of times is when I’m in a doctors office. Such visits are unpleasant by their very nature. I’m usually a little apprehensive in the waiting room. Someone trying to engage me in idle chit-chat would annoy me greatly. I wouldn’t want to throw hot coffee at them, but a scorching word or two would seem appropriate.
I’ve always been good at totally ignoring people. Now, with my hearing acting up, it’s easier. It’s also less stressful. There’s nothing that says you have to engage her in conversation. Just polietly ignore her and keep reading. When it’s your turn, exit quietly. It’s simple.
That being said, I do think the anger and violence are out of place. Or is that why you’re headed to the Shrink? Seems like you fly off the handle easy.
If I were in a better mood I might have gone off on a schizo rant (like my “school shooters” thread, but a lot more exaggerated) – it’s fun to talk to crazy people and make them think you’re even crazier than they are!
Would throwing coffee in her face really be so wrong? Yeah it’s an overreaction but sometimes you gotta overreact to get someone’s attention…
ummm… for those who find unwanted conversation somethign to become enraged and violent over…have you ever considered, rather than jumping straight from unsubtle hints to abusive screaming or violence, you take the middle step of simply being direct, without being nasty about it? You know, something along the lines of: “I don’t mean to be impolite, but I have a lot on my mind right now and I’m really not in the mood to make conversation right now. I appreciate your understanding.” and then retunring to your magazine. Pretty simple, really.
Exactly… buy a music player. If someone keeps talking to you, take off the headphones, say “Sorry, but I need to listen to this self-help tape to keep my bouts of random homicidal psychosis in check.”
Ah, see you follow the Marilyn Manson philosophy of trying to get attention by inane attempts at being shocking, and then trying to intelectualize them with cod philosphy.
You might want to look here. Enough with the bathos, already.
It’s also less stressful. There’s nothing that says you have to engage her in conversation. Just polietly ignore her and keep reading. When it’s your turn, exit quietly. It’s simple.