I'm not interested in these pleasantries anymore.
Such a waste of time. Why do any of us even do it? Why pretend to be interested in what someone else is saying if we are completely and utterly bored? To spare his or her feelings? And to what end?
Say a friend goes on a tangent about the infinite beauty of each element in the periodic table. I may be interested for, say, the first five elements, barring the possibility that he or she has come to some riveting conclusions about the others. Does it really benefit either of us if I pretend to be interested for the next two hours as he or she continues? Hardly. In fact, the conversation is limited to a one-way barrage, while I daydream of blowing up pumpkins with dynamite. Would it not be better if he or she saved this conversation for someone with similar interests? You would think so, but far too often, I'm discovering that we talk to hear ourselves talk. We often talk and pretend to care while we listen so we can validate the strength of our friendships.
"Oh, she is my best friend. We tell each other EVERYTHING. There's nothing I feel I can't tell her."
Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't tell each other everything. That is, if you want to remain best friends.
Disclaimer: Though I am 98% certain that no one reads this, I would like to point out that this tangent is addressed to absolutely no one in my life. These are my thoughts about modern American youth and friendship. We all deal with it, and probably more often than we should. What if we stopped? What if, instead of listening to the periodic table rant, I told the person I didn't want to hear it? We'd probably all harbor a certain level of resentment towards one another, but don't we already?
Say a friend goes on a tangent about the infinite beauty of each element in the periodic table. I may be interested for, say, the first five elements, barring the possibility that he or she has come to some riveting conclusions about the others. Does it really benefit either of us if I pretend to be interested for the next two hours as he or she continues? Hardly. In fact, the conversation is limited to a one-way barrage, while I daydream of blowing up pumpkins with dynamite. Would it not be better if he or she saved this conversation for someone with similar interests? You would think so, but far too often, I'm discovering that we talk to hear ourselves talk. We often talk and pretend to care while we listen so we can validate the strength of our friendships.
"Oh, she is my best friend. We tell each other EVERYTHING. There's nothing I feel I can't tell her."
Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't tell each other everything. That is, if you want to remain best friends.
Disclaimer: Though I am 98% certain that no one reads this, I would like to point out that this tangent is addressed to absolutely no one in my life. These are my thoughts about modern American youth and friendship. We all deal with it, and probably more often than we should. What if we stopped? What if, instead of listening to the periodic table rant, I told the person I didn't want to hear it? We'd probably all harbor a certain level of resentment towards one another, but don't we already?