Home General Chat
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. For Crisis Support (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Want to share your experience of using our Community?

We're collecting Community Case Studies which could be used on our website, on social media, shared with our volunteers, or shared with third parties who may be interested to hear how online communities help people.

Click here to fill out our anonymous form

People who tell long, boring stories/jokes

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 122,046 The Mix Honorary Guru
How do you deal with someone who frequently tells very long, boring stories / anecdotes / jokes - and why do they do it? Do they think they're entertaining - or do they just want people to listen to them? The worst part is when I don't react by laughing or being delighted, which they respond to by telling me that I "didn't get it". However, I do understand what they said - I just didn't find it in any way entertaining.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Moderator Posts: 98 Budding Regular
    Hey Robert,

    This sounds like it's quite frustrating for you. I can definitely understand feeling misunderstood or annoyed when others blame you for not "getting" a joke when really you just don't think it's funny. I obviously can't speak for anyone else, but my guess would be that people tell long jokes/stories for both of those reasons. They probably think they're entertaining and/or they want people to listen to them. I'm not sure if this will work for you, and maybe other people will have other ideas, but whenever I don't find someone else's joke funny but don't want to sit frowning, I usually just make a polite smile. That way you are acknowledging that you heard, but you're not faking a laugh.

    Perhaps that will work for you?

    - Mica
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 122,046 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've tried just smiling, but they find that to be very insufficient. They still tell me that I must not 'get it', otherwise I'd find it really interesting and funny. It's like they want to be congratulated for being so clever and/or funny. Merely having heard it isn't enough - they're expecting that I will think that what they said is genius.

    A similar thing is when people boast about having done stupid things - and expect me to congratulate them. For example: "I got so smashed last night; I can't remember what happened. It must have been great, because I woke up in the morning in a skip, covered in my own vomit". Similar boasts involve accidents, fights etc. - and ending up in A&E or a police cell.
Sign In or Register to comment.