# I'm nosy. Are you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576 "2004-05-22T22:24:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stage\_Manager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stage_manager/32/7267_2.png) [@Stage\_Manager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stage_Manager)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/1 "2004-05-22T22:24:36Z")
I work in retail, and when people write checks for their purchases, I look at their checkbook to see what their balance is. (It helps that I can read upside-down.) The worst part is that I then judge them based on their bank balance. How about you? Are you excessively nosy? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/2 "2004-05-22T22:29:00Z")
Yeah, I can be nosy. But something like judging someone based on his or her checkbook balance isn’t something I’d consider. Just because lots of people have multiple checking accounts and shared ones. Not that I’m judging you or anything! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/3 "2004-05-22T23:37:51Z")
Well, on mine you’d see I don’t really balance my checkbook, although I know what’s in there and never bounce a check. But yeah, I’m kinda nosy. I wouldn’t look at anybody’s bank balance, because I’m not really interested in it, but when I’m in the bathroom at somebody else’s house you bet I look in their medicine cabinets and drawers and things. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/4 "2004-05-22T23:49:11Z")
> [@Mikie](#): > > I work in retail, and when people write checks for their purchases, I look at their checkbook to see what their balance is. (It helps that I can read upside-down.) > > The worst part is that I then judge them based on their bank balance. Which is why I hold my checkbook cover in such a way the clerk cannot read my balance, which is none of your business anyway. I get very curious about situations, but I realize that some things are none of my business and I will have to accept the fact I’m not going to find out the details. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/5 "2004-05-23T00:11:25Z")
No, actually I’m quite the opposite. I tend to stay so focused on what’s going on in my life that I ignore what’s going on with other folks. I’m sure that drives a lot of people crazy - you might walk in the room with a monkey on your head and I won’t even ask about it. Heh. I’m so un-nosy that, when I would neaten up my daughter’s room, if she left her diary out on the bed I never read it, I just closed it and put it in the drawer. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/6 "2004-05-23T00:37:11Z")
> [@Mikie](#): > > Are you excessively nosy? None of your damn business. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/7 "2004-05-23T03:13:26Z")
I don’t like to call it “nosy” - but I am so ridiculously curious it is not even funny. I have to know everything. Not surprisingly, it gets me into trouble sometimes. Not so much on a personal end - but I really need to be kept in the loop on work stuff. I can read a letter upside down on someone’s desk in about 15 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/8 "2004-05-23T04:02:09Z")
I was filled with guilty pleasure when I found someone’s wallet. Not because I could take their cash, but because I had a bona fide, good-deed reason to go through every scrap of paper and card in there in an attempt to find a phone number (by the way, is your phone number in your wallet so someone can get it back to you?). I finally called her dentist’s office (appointment card) and asked them to have her call me. I love to find people’s dropped grocery lists and make conjectures based on their contents. I would never: read someones’ unopened mail (if it’s lying out where I can see it you takes your chances), read a diary or a journal, go through someone’s drawers. But I want to. A friend of mine once had what sounded like a dream job to me. She worked for the navy and her job was to go through the stuff of navy folks who died before they sent it all back to family. So, yeah, I guess I’m nosy. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/9 "2004-05-23T04:48:05Z")
You’d make an erroneous judgement about me because only a small portion of my money is in my checking account–most is in my savings account and my cash management account (which I can write checks on but only do for larger items like my mortgage and never for retail purchases). There are some things I’m very nosey about like who my friends are dating and how it’s going. But I really prefer not to know how about the money matters of my friends and family. I don’t think any of my friends or family know how much I earn, what my net worth is, or what last year’s tax returns looked like (unless they snooped). Likewise, I don’t want to know their information. We have general ideas about each other based on lifestyle and purchases, but nothing specific. I used to be more curious and open about money matters. Then I had a few close relationships turn sour over differences in finances. So I keep that pretty close to the vest these days. ---
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/10 "2004-05-23T06:41:53Z")
If I am out and 2 people are talking near me I usually get all up in there conversation and I will be listening so much to what they are talking about if its interesting…I will temporarily ignore my own conversation. Then I snap out of it and listen to who ever is talking to me. Although once these 2 women were talking and one said something like “I told that guy off” and I came up and said “Yeh you tell him” and they just laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/11 "2004-05-23T11:07:23Z")
Only about friends, family, and acquaintances. I couldn’t care less about strangers but I more than make up for it in my curiosity about people I know. ---
**Author:** ![Starguard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Starguard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starguard)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/12 "2004-05-23T11:14:24Z")
> [@peter morris](#): > > None of your damn business. (LOL) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@CalH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalH)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/13 "2004-05-23T21:01:31Z")
Only when it comes to finding out about a woman’s bra size (this is irreverant to whether or not I know her). ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/14 "2004-05-23T21:16:33Z")
Nosy? Why I’m so nosy, I put Cyrano to shame. ---
**Author:** ![CalH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@CalH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalH)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nosy-are-you/246576/15 "2004-05-23T21:30:26Z")
Why what did he do?