Networking? Not me!
October 11th 2007 00:05
Please don't ask me how I am because the chances are, you don't really want to know. Which is why I hate networking.
I can't stand small talk or inanities. There's a careers seminar I go to every month as I want to learn about career development. I try not to talk to any of the attendees because they have a tendency of stating the obvious: 'You must be hungry' one person says to me as I reach for the chips. 'You must be busy' says another as she watches me taking copious notes. And, finally, 'You must be hot' says another while I reach for the Coke. Because the same people come every month, you can imagine how annoying this can be after a while. Can't they understand I just want to be left alone to listen to what the presenter says? Why waste words anyway?
It would be different if these people actually had something worthwhile to say but they don't. I can't stand dumb questions (in fact, I can't stand questions at the best of times). So I get in touch with my inner Aspergian: I grunt or offer monosyllabic replies, hoping they'd get the hint (either they don't or maybe they feel sorry for me and are trying to get me to interact with them).
I've always thought I had no people skills but, surprisingly, my therapist begs to differ. He says I do but I save it for those I respect. With everyone else, I become mute. One of my friends suffers from the same problem which is why we get along so well.
But I think the best thing about disliking social inanities is that when I finally do get around to asking someone how they are, it's because I'm genuinely interested in how they are feeling and am not just doing it to be polite.
I can't stand small talk or inanities. There's a careers seminar I go to every month as I want to learn about career development. I try not to talk to any of the attendees because they have a tendency of stating the obvious: 'You must be hungry' one person says to me as I reach for the chips. 'You must be busy' says another as she watches me taking copious notes. And, finally, 'You must be hot' says another while I reach for the Coke. Because the same people come every month, you can imagine how annoying this can be after a while. Can't they understand I just want to be left alone to listen to what the presenter says? Why waste words anyway?
It would be different if these people actually had something worthwhile to say but they don't. I can't stand dumb questions (in fact, I can't stand questions at the best of times). So I get in touch with my inner Aspergian: I grunt or offer monosyllabic replies, hoping they'd get the hint (either they don't or maybe they feel sorry for me and are trying to get me to interact with them).
I've always thought I had no people skills but, surprisingly, my therapist begs to differ. He says I do but I save it for those I respect. With everyone else, I become mute. One of my friends suffers from the same problem which is why we get along so well.
But I think the best thing about disliking social inanities is that when I finally do get around to asking someone how they are, it's because I'm genuinely interested in how they are feeling and am not just doing it to be polite.
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