I just don't care... small vent

[LBKB]

Compassion compassion compassion where is it?

[HippieChickadee]

I have someone in my family who does this. We've all learned not to ask any questions to encourage the conversation.

Of course, this is someone who lies and distorts things to make very simple things a big deal. (For example her three year old had a sore throat and she ended up taking her to the doctor and came home and for the next week saying she had to keep a close eye on her because it could be a horrible infection blah blah blah and in a week you don't hear about it again. Meanwhile, the three year old is running around screaming and feeling fine.)

[EMHDad]

We live in a society where it is not only the norm, but expected for each other to ask the other 'how are you?' Except, 99/100 times, people only want to hear 'ok' or 'good'.

Fortunately for me, as a pastor, I am in a setting where people are more open, honest, and connected to each other than most places.

[furb & dez]

Apparently the cow-orker is a Twatter user.

OP, some people are simply attention- and sympathy-"seekers". You're just an audience for them (if you let them...).

[eliza61]

Originally Posted by RadioNate

Because it wasn't a big deal? Heaven forbid someone tries to be nice & explain the situation when you asked them if you could help.

When did we become this society? Where we don't care about anyone else. Where we are so wrapped up with ourselves that we get annoyed at a 60 second conversation w/a co worker.

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

I've been this way for as long as I remember.

Sorry Sam,
as much as I enjoy your post I gotta go with the other posters.

Are we really so self absorbed that some one sharing 1 minute of their life with us has become an annoyance? Yes, I too have had those folks who shared waaay to much information but really what's the harm?

Look at it this way. You shared your space with some one for a few minutes and you never know how you touch people.

consider it your Christmas gift to your fellow office mates.

[eliza61]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

Maybe you're more friendly with your coworkers. I do have some that I'm willing to share with and listen to them share. Someone who I simply say "hi" when passing in the hallway... not so much.

I don't expect the majority of coworkers to care about my personal life.

What's wrong with that? and it's not that they have to "Care" but it does make the place you spend much of the day at, a lot nicer.

Listen, I just experienced a tragedy in my life and let me tell you, it does make the place where I work very nice when folks come up to me and express compassion and concern. Yeah, maybe it's meaningless because they all don't know me well and I don't think I'm an attention hog but it does feel good when the elevator guy says "hey sorry to hear about your loss".
sorry, I'm with the others, why is is so horrible that others simply want to be cordial.

Do we have to know some one's life history to share 3 minutes of our life with them?

For the record you're coworker was simply asking for a little help. Not really what I would say is asking you to "care about her life".

[sam_gordon]

Originally Posted by eliza61

Sorry Sam,
as much as I enjoy your post I gotta go with the other posters.

No problem eliza. I knew I would get these kinds of responses.

Are we really so self absorbed that some one sharing 1 minute of their life with us has become an annoyance? Yes, I too have had those folks who shared waaay to much information but really what's the harm?

Look at it this way. You shared your space with some one for a few minutes and you never know how you touch people.

consider it your Christmas gift to your fellow office mates.

Believe me, I'm not upset. Did it annoy me? Yes, just because I'm not that interested in others' (in general) personal lives. There are coworkers who I would have no problem with them sharing this information. To me, it comes down to the relationship you have with someone.

On an annoyance scale, this probably ranks about 1-2. But I'm bored, and thought I'd throw it out on the Dis.

[RitaE]

So you don't have a spare minute or two in your day to make a few sympathetic noises toward a Co-Worker who tells you he had a stroke .... but plenty of time to come here and post about it on the DIS?


You might consider one of those work in solitude type of jobs. No pesky co-workers around to bother you at all.

[eliza61]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

No problem eliza. I knew I would get these kinds of responses.

Believe me, I'm not upset. Did it annoy me? Yes, just because I'm not that interested in others' (in general) personal lives. There are coworkers who I would have no problem with them sharing this information. To me, it comes down to the relationship you have with someone.

On an annoyance scale, this probably ranks about 1-2. But I'm bored, and thought I'd throw it out on the Dis.

No worries Mate,

I'm one of those people who for some reason perfect strangers will talk to. My dh would crack up with laughter. When we lived in NYC, we'd get on the train and it was a lead pipe certainity that the old lady sitting next to me would launch into her entire medical history and how her kids don't visit enough!!

[snapppyd]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

No problem eliza. I knew I would get these kinds of responses.

Believe me, I'm not upset. Did it annoy me? Yes, just because I'm not that interested in others' (in general) personal lives. There are coworkers who I would have no problem with them sharing this information. To me, it comes down to the relationship you have with someone.

On an annoyance scale, this probably ranks about 1-2. But I'm bored, and thought I'd throw it out on the Dis.

So maybe he wants to become one of "those" coworkers? Sounds like he was just trying to have a conversation, and heaven forbid, get a touch of sympathy?

[sam_gordon]

Originally Posted by RitaE

You might consider one of those work in solitude type of jobs. No pesky co-workers around to bother you at all.

That would be nice.

But when did this become I don't like talking to ANY co-worker? Haven't I said I'm comfortable with SOME coworkers?

[MIGrandma]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

Yes, it is very minor vent. I don't care that he had the stroke (or whatever). I don't care that he's filling in for someone. I don't care that his wife is working late and he doesn't want to ask her for a ride. I thought it was strange that he went into all the extra information when a simple "I want to talk to him about the cab company" would have sufficed.

Wow, you don't care that he had a stroke,or "whatever"?! I would care that a perfect stranger had a stroke, and I would most definitely care more that a co-worker had one!! I'm sorry you have no compassion for your co-workers. I see nothing wrong with what your co-worker said to you. He didn't go into all the gory details of his medical problems, he was just explaining to you why he wanted to talk to the other co-worker about what cab company they use. So sorry you couldn't give him the time of day. Very sad.

[furb & dez]

Originally Posted by sam_gordon

That would be nice.

But when did this become I don't like talking to ANY co-worker? Haven't I said I'm comfortable with SOME coworkers?

Haven't you heard, sam? Life is all black and white on the DIS. You've got at least a good three pages of clucking to endure, now that you've outed yourself as a horrible, horrible person for not wanting to be subjected to virtual strangers' medical problems.

[sam_gordon]

Originally Posted by furb & dez

Haven't you heard, sam? Life is all black and white on the DIS. You've got at least a good three pages of clucking to endure, now that you've outed yourself as a horrible, horrible person for not wanting to be subjected to virtual strangers' medical problems.

Too true.

It's been a couple days since we've had a good "beat down" on here, so I thought I'd give people somewhere to focus their negative energy.

[Katieinwonderland]

I agree with you that over-sharing drives me crazy, but I don't know if this would bother me.

To me, over-sharing is what I had to put up with today. The cashier at Target asked when my baby was due and when I replied, her response was "you know when I delivered my baby I had the worst hemorrhoids, I was in so much pain, plus I tore and had to have stitches, you should have seen it down there!"



WHY are you telling me this???!!!