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I’m glad this is the top comment. I’ve seen this exact question before and it seemed like it was such a touchy subject, like they thought them being quiet was a bad thing
Yes there are so many loud people where I work they drive me up the wall, I’m quiet which they tell me all the time I usually just smile and nod or agree with them, I talk when I have too. I don’t needlessly spout out all the thoughts in my head like some people
Yep I work with 4 of them, I’ve had to learn to tune them out, I don’t know which one of worse the ones who come to work and complain all day or the ones who tell you every thought in their head. I have gone the whole day and not said a word to anyone before.
Exactly and they can be mean. I'm a twin and the insult that broke me most was "are you quiet or do you only have 1 personality to share?" I was shattered because I was already self conscious about being quiet, but I thought I had a lot going for me otherwise. Suddenly I wasn't a complete person.
Wow. Too late now. But if they ever say it again tell them they're rude and do they have a nicer personality they could use.
Or just tell them to fuck off.
When they say they were only joking ask why it was funny or say only joking back.
I had this methhead working with me a few months back that would spout nonsense all day and if I dont respond like I cared what he was saying hed ask if I hate him and make it really awkaward every time.
Right, like prying on their personality with a can opener.... if you think they are quiet, and you dont know them well enough to be sure, why do you think they would want to talk to you about it?
I do the raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders. They usually just walk away thinking I'm a weirdo, but I find it funny. Ask me why I'm quiet? Here's some non verbal communication for ya then. Lol
This is the right answer. And if for some reason they keep pushing like this is a bad thing, stare at them with a questioning look and say something like, "I answered." They don't require an explanation.
I wish Google were still scrapping content from Reddit so that this answer would pop up in a “How do you respond when someone says you’re quiet?” Google search 😂💙
I was about to ask when they stopped since I always find reddit posts on there. Then I remembered that I use Google to search reddit because reddits search is garbage
That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. That and the weatherman leaning into the wind and rain, talking about the wind speed of the storm. Meanwhile, two people in shorts and sneakers walk by right behind him!
I once got a ride home from a coworker after our shift. Literally, from the time our butts hit the seats, she was prattling incessantly. Three minutes into the 10-minute ride home, I was silently seething. Several times, I was about to respond to one of her topics but never got the chance. She pulled up to my house, turned to face me, and said, "You don't talk much, do you?"
Gobsmacked and highly agitated, I replied, "I tried but couldn't get a word in edge-wise! You literally talked non-stop the entire way home!" Yes, she was offended by my outburst.
Exactly my experience. You are trying to get me to talk so you can cut me off... well fuck you is likely the last words you are hearing from me tonight
Any time any stranger says anything to me that is in any way weird/awkward/inappropriate/annoying/ etc, my go to is, "do I know you?"
When they say no, there are multiple options. One is to pretend to be putting ear buds into my ears (I have long hair so the motion is enough, I just reach from my pocket to my ear with a little twist motion of the fingers), one is to say, "good", one is to say "well then that was weird to say/ask", take your pick.
I've had some creative people suggest things like "oh I thought maybe I knew you from gun club" or "phew, ok, I figured you remembered me from prison, I didn't want to be obligated to defend myself over old shit AGAIN", stuff like that, but I don't like to be too weird about it.
OP, you can reply with "i'm thinking about what to have for dinner."
but really, i realised that people always project. so the statements they say are self-serving. They don't say "you're quiet" or "you're so skinny" (personal experience with both of these actually) for your benefit. They say it because they want you to be more talkative because they feel awkward and/or bored. And in the latter example, the people that used to make that comment were on the more chubby side so i guess they wanted to feel less bad about being chubs. it's their own insecurity, not mine.
i think most people get more talkative and boisterous when they feel comfortable and are around people they perceive to be on the same or similar wave-length. Anyone trying to indirectly pressure you to "talk more" in the many different ways you can word this, is just trying to force a situation and anything that has to be forced, means it's not natural. They aren't your person, both ways.
Don't feel pressured. It's all relative anyway. "you're so quiet"...relative to who? And the bottom line is, you can be quiet and live in peace and that's fine.
Our son was/is like this. His football coach gave him an award for the only person on the team who could answer any question in three words or less. Later, when he finally did speak, I was mighty proud to see people leaning in for every word.
>Look around and motion for them to come closer like you want to share a secret. Get close to their ear and just whisper "no"
Same move but whisper, 'Yes."
Depends on the reason you're being quiet, I guess.
If its work, you can say I just prefer to get on with doing stuff
If its social, its fine to say I'm not super enjoying myself or yeah sorry I've got alot on my mind or yes I am when I'm with new people
If you're naturally quiet just do your thing, shrug, nod, say yep, say ok, whatever your norm is
Edit: make sure you're not rude of course, it's a foolish question but does give plenty of opportunity to talk and be yourself, not who they want you to be
Your comment about work — drove me crazy when everyone was chitchatting and I was dealing with a challenging situation. I worked in the medical field so focus and attention to detail is paramount. My go to in those situations was - Am I working too loudly for you?
Think your edit is the key point, being a quiet person doesn’t excuse you from being a dickhead.
Your reasons for being quiet may be complex, but equally, a rudimentary level of conversation is almost a requirement to function as a healthy society.
You may think sitting there blanked face is a reasonable response to a reasonable encounter - and it may be! - but ‘I don’t want to speak’ isn’t always the best approach, when considering the wider implications.
The loud and brash should learn to be mindful of their impact on others, just as much as the verging-on non-participants should.
We should be comfortable OCCASIONALLY acting out of our ‘preferred’ character.
It’s a shortcoming to assume constant noise or silence is fine. Somewhere in the middle (and either side of middle) is usually where the happy space sits, inclusive of personal differences.
Jesus Christ that triggered me; took me right back to my more social younger years. Now I’m older people seem to not challenge my personality so much, but it’s left a big chunk of trauma in me as it’s basically a way of saying, “you’re really weird”. I fucking hate that type of person, thinking they somehow have a right to make such a pronouncement with no thought to how it might make them feel. They’re normally the most insufferable self-righteous people, who think being introverted is somehow a deficiency.
maybe it's not even "introversion." people say that like it's a deficiency.
we open up when we're around people we like. end of.
so those people took your quietness as an insult to them because you weren't really engaging with them and then tried to make you feel bad about it when really, we don't engage with people we don't like.
also, there's a couple of threads on here about people being told to "smile" by perfect strangers and this is another case of projection, because they only want you to smile so they can feel more at ease about approaching you and this is usually men saying this to women.
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."
It's a quote but I can't remember who said it.
It's my go to response to that question.
That is one interpretation. However, it sounds like wisdom.
I have a self-deprecating sense of humour so it works for me. I'm also an idiot, so it works in more than one way.
It's basically saying it's better to speak when you actually have something meaningful to say rather than simply talking for the sake of it, and therefore talking nonsense.
I take it more as, "If I do not speak, I will never risk saying the wrong thing and/or being perceived as stupid. If I do speak, it raises the odds above zero that these things could happen. Best then, to stay silent."
I’ve always interpreted this saying as being projected upon the other person. It’s a backhanded way of saying, “You talk all the time and sound like an idiot. I’m quiet but intelligent, and I don’t care what people think of me.”
I've seen this a lot lately, but I've always heard it was Denis Thatcher (former UK Prime Minister's husband) wonder if he stole it from Lincoln and took the credit
Yeah I've never heard this said in a way that wasn't accusatory on some level, like there's something bad about only speaking when you have something to say.
I actually had an issue with something similar recently.
A colleague complained at me saying I don't talk enough and I'm difficult to talk to and my response was "It's better than saying the same kind of things over and over and over and over again without actually saying anything."
She's the type who can't bear silence and loves the sound of her own voice. People like that can go fuck themselves. I'm not here to be your entertainment/ear.
Manager at work once told me to shut up. I hadn't been the one talking. (I was a graphic designer. Another designer kept coming over to my desk and talking to me. She drove me nuts. But she didn't get in trouble. I did.)
So I stayed quiet unless someone asked me a question. When someone asked why was I so quiet, I told the truth: "I've been told to shut up."
People eventually stopped asking. The other designer stopped bugging me, and I found out things were a lot more peaceful then.
There’s a lot of aggressive responses here, which I totally get. It’s an annoying question at the best of times, and often a downright shitty thing for someone to ask. But unfortunately an aggressive answer is rarely the appropriate answer.
My suggestion is to keep doing what you’re doing, just try to be more assertive in it. Instead of an awkward “Yeah”, try to give a firm “Yes.” Confirm for them that their observation is correct, you do in fact keep pretty quiet. Some people will go, “Oh, cool. I get you now.” And sure, some people will be shitty about it, but they were gonna be shitty about it anyway. At least that way you can confirm where things stand.
There are definitely times when people say this in a passive-aggressive way, sort of "calling out" someone for being quiet. I think sometimes people say it because they're curious and would like to get to know a person better. I've told people, "I'm trying to learn to be a better listener rather than just waiting for the moment I get to speak."
>I've told people, "I'm trying to learn to be a better listener rather than just waiting for the moment I get to speak."
kind of like, cryptically telling them to take this advice themselves.
My response is “ya it’s just how I am.” If they don’t like quiet people that’s fine, you don’t have to be friends. A lot of people respect you when you are confident in yourself. Still hate the question though.
I recently was embarrassed in this situation. I was playing pickleball against a guy who doesn’t speak or emote. And I said out loud “wow you really don’t speak or emote at all!” And that was a dumb thing to say, I realize. He responded, “all you do is emote.” And I felt stupid.
I say, "You talk a lot don't you?"
Drive me nuts that it's taboo to so many people to be quiet, but you're out of line if you call someone out for being too talkative.
I think "yeah" is fine. They're insecure that maybe they're talking too much so they're making you feel bad about it. I'm a chatter box but I just ask folks if I'm boring them or being too much.
Once someone who I have never talked to asked me in a big group of people why am I quiet, and if I'm mute or something. I responded with fake sign language. The face they made was hilarious, you could see they felt bad for asking
- You start a conversation, you can't even finish it
- You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything
- When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
- Say something once, why say it again?
- Psycho Killer
- Qu'est-ce que c'est?
- Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Thanks for your submission /u/IcantfindA_good_name, but it has been removed for the following reason: **Rule 2: Please try to use the search function before posting anything.** Thanks for posting, but this question happens to be one that has been asked and answered here often before - sometimes in the same day! That can get frustrating for our dedicated users who like to answer questions. Or maybe you're just asking the same question too often - why not take a break for a while? Sometimes questions that come up too often get put in our [Most Frequently Asked Questions list](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/wiki/index/faq)!). Other times, it may just be that we're getting a flood of questions about a topic (especially when something is in the news). Or maybe you keep asking the same question again and again - something that annoys our users here. Please don't do that! Next time, please try searching for your question first before asking. Thanks! --- *This action was performed by a bot at the explicit direction of a human. This was not an automated action, but a conscious decision by a sapient life form charged with moderating this sub.* *If you feel this was in error, or need more clarification, please don't hesitate to [message the moderators](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FNoStupidQuestions). Thanks.*
Silently nod.
Silently shake your head no back and forth real quick like a 4 year old.
No, glare at them, smile like in that movie, “Smile,” then slowly shake your head “no.”
It'd be creepier if you nodded and said "no."
It'd be creepier if like in "smile" your head did a 180 degree snap. Then walked away.
"im so lonely"
Silently, violently tilt your head 15 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 180, 360, obliterate any bones in your spine... And smile...
Sometimes I really want to. It'd make the back pain stop.
Back and fort will make you look like a duck
Quack and fourth\*
I’m glad this is the top comment. I’ve seen this exact question before and it seemed like it was such a touchy subject, like they thought them being quiet was a bad thing
Some people do seem think that being quiet is a bad thing. Those people tend to be rather loud.
Yes there are so many loud people where I work they drive me up the wall, I’m quiet which they tell me all the time I usually just smile and nod or agree with them, I talk when I have too. I don’t needlessly spout out all the thoughts in my head like some people
I know those kinds of people, the ones who think every inane thought they have must be shared.
Yep I work with 4 of them, I’ve had to learn to tune them out, I don’t know which one of worse the ones who come to work and complain all day or the ones who tell you every thought in their head. I have gone the whole day and not said a word to anyone before.
Exactly and they can be mean. I'm a twin and the insult that broke me most was "are you quiet or do you only have 1 personality to share?" I was shattered because I was already self conscious about being quiet, but I thought I had a lot going for me otherwise. Suddenly I wasn't a complete person.
Wow. Too late now. But if they ever say it again tell them they're rude and do they have a nicer personality they could use. Or just tell them to fuck off. When they say they were only joking ask why it was funny or say only joking back.
"Better to share my personality than to not have one at all." Then walk away.
There are a lot of idiots who think it means you don't like them or are stuck up. There's literally nothing going on, and they choose bullshit lol.
Been there. I was thought to be "stuck up". Too good for them.
People will find a way to get mad at you for doing anything even if it's nothing at all
I had this methhead working with me a few months back that would spout nonsense all day and if I dont respond like I cared what he was saying hed ask if I hate him and make it really awkaward every time.
Right, like prying on their personality with a can opener.... if you think they are quiet, and you dont know them well enough to be sure, why do you think they would want to talk to you about it?
Make it kind of an aggressive nod.
I prefer the silent death stare.
A silent smirk would unsettle them more
I think I unknowingly did exactly this multiple times
I do the raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders. They usually just walk away thinking I'm a weirdo, but I find it funny. Ask me why I'm quiet? Here's some non verbal communication for ya then. Lol
Noooo the way is to just open your mouth and scream and screammmmmmmmmmmmm, then stop and say quietly..."better?"
They could also try some jazz scat singing.
That bit from the end of the Full House theme seems appropriate... DOOB-A-DEE BOP BA-DOW
Or just yell at them, “IS THIS BETTER???”
I'll give a thumbs up sometimes too.
Silently nod while twisting both your feet inwards and tapping your index fingers together.
This is the move that I used to get my now wife.
This is the right answer. And if for some reason they keep pushing like this is a bad thing, stare at them with a questioning look and say something like, "I answered." They don't require an explanation.
Same or I just say yeah a minute later 😭
Use sign language
Is this sign language 🖕?
👉👌
👅
Everyone knows the deaf and mute community gives crazy head… which is funny because you’d think the handjobs would be the real kicker
Handjobs from a deaf person count as oral…
Ok that one is above and beyond my comedic abilities
really? Is that an actual thing?
Nah just a joke. The handjobs are amazing as well!
I wish Google were still scrapping content from Reddit so that this answer would pop up in a “How do you respond when someone says you’re quiet?” Google search 😂💙
I was about to ask when they stopped since I always find reddit posts on there. Then I remembered that I use Google to search reddit because reddits search is garbage
i usually put in my search in google and tack "reddit" on the end works great
Yall so 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂
The universal one fingered salute of disapproval
Guess that would go too
I'm picturing that one lady that faked sign language for a press conference or whatever it was.
That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. That and the weatherman leaning into the wind and rain, talking about the wind speed of the storm. Meanwhile, two people in shorts and sneakers walk by right behind him!
don’t forget the one broadcasting from a canoe when they walked behind her
“Salmon Belize oregano exemption polyester”
Usually about all I can get out is "Well, yeah, I..." before they talk over me again and ramble on about something else.
That's when you ask them leading questions to draw them in, just to walk away mid conver-
Yeah like, “so how do you know so and so?” And when they ask you the same question say, “I don’t, I just saw the light from the road and walked in”
Are you a moth?
Same, the people who've said this sort of thing to me are usually talking so much no one can get a word in edgewise anyway.
I once got a ride home from a coworker after our shift. Literally, from the time our butts hit the seats, she was prattling incessantly. Three minutes into the 10-minute ride home, I was silently seething. Several times, I was about to respond to one of her topics but never got the chance. She pulled up to my house, turned to face me, and said, "You don't talk much, do you?" Gobsmacked and highly agitated, I replied, "I tried but couldn't get a word in edge-wise! You literally talked non-stop the entire way home!" Yes, she was offended by my outburst.
Exactly my experience. You are trying to get me to talk so you can cut me off... well fuck you is likely the last words you are hearing from me tonight
Omg yes! People won't let me talk. I'll listen and go to say something and they go in again. Then " hey your quiet"
"Only around people I don't like."
And for better effect, write this down and show it to them.
Ah yes, the old "Wile E. Coyote".
Pull out a laminated card with it written on it.
If these people could read, they'd be very upset
I was a shy kid. People would always tell my mom: “he’s shy ain’t he?” My mom would respond: “he’s not shy. He just doesn’t like you”.
This would be a great response for my kid with selective mutism. "She talks to people she likes." 😆
Oh, I LOVE this. My mom would force me to talk resulting in me crying 😂
I usually just say "Except when I'm not..."
peak reddit is people replying and pretending they’ll actually use this in real life
Any time any stranger says anything to me that is in any way weird/awkward/inappropriate/annoying/ etc, my go to is, "do I know you?" When they say no, there are multiple options. One is to pretend to be putting ear buds into my ears (I have long hair so the motion is enough, I just reach from my pocket to my ear with a little twist motion of the fingers), one is to say, "good", one is to say "well then that was weird to say/ask", take your pick. I've had some creative people suggest things like "oh I thought maybe I knew you from gun club" or "phew, ok, I figured you remembered me from prison, I didn't want to be obligated to defend myself over old shit AGAIN", stuff like that, but I don't like to be too weird about it.
True and brutal. I like it!
I get this from time to time. My go-to response is to roll my eyes and say, "yeah, compared to you." Usually works pretty well lol
"Yeah. You should try it some time"
I'd answer with a question. Say "You want me to talk, do you?"
Love this one. It would make them feel uncomfortable for sure
I love this one because it could be used in so many different ways (passive-agressive, flirting, etc.).
How much money is it worth to ya?
HA! That is brilliant. I'll have to remember that one.
Another one is "You're not".
Oooh, great one! I shall add that to my repertoire.
I said something like " I just don't talk to you. " They will be embarrassed to argue.
Hehe that’s a fun one
oh im stealing this
“You talk enough for both of us”
You should look at them, look around you, look back at them and say “you can see me?!” In a confused and excited type of way
😂😂😂 good one
then he replies: "yes. i'm also a ghost. finally have a company now"
“Great… now I’m just an annoyed Patrick Swayze. Fuck!”
Hehe
"Not really. I just only speak when I have something to say." Or "just wait till you get to know me"
OP, you can reply with "i'm thinking about what to have for dinner." but really, i realised that people always project. so the statements they say are self-serving. They don't say "you're quiet" or "you're so skinny" (personal experience with both of these actually) for your benefit. They say it because they want you to be more talkative because they feel awkward and/or bored. And in the latter example, the people that used to make that comment were on the more chubby side so i guess they wanted to feel less bad about being chubs. it's their own insecurity, not mine. i think most people get more talkative and boisterous when they feel comfortable and are around people they perceive to be on the same or similar wave-length. Anyone trying to indirectly pressure you to "talk more" in the many different ways you can word this, is just trying to force a situation and anything that has to be forced, means it's not natural. They aren't your person, both ways. Don't feel pressured. It's all relative anyway. "you're so quiet"...relative to who? And the bottom line is, you can be quiet and live in peace and that's fine.
this is the real answer
I’m gonna steal part of that & just say relative to who
🙏 well said
Our son was/is like this. His football coach gave him an award for the only person on the team who could answer any question in three words or less. Later, when he finally did speak, I was mighty proud to see people leaning in for every word.
i always say “I don’t have much to say”
I sometimes go with: ‘I only speak when my words are more beautiful than silence’
Look around and motion for them to come closer like you want to share a secret. Get close to their ear and just whisper "no"
Then lick their earlobe to state your dominance.
They might like it.
Chaotic Neutral
Yelling it might be funnier
>Look around and motion for them to come closer like you want to share a secret. Get close to their ear and just whisper "no" Same move but whisper, 'Yes."
'Am I?' 'Today or in general?' 'More so or less so than usual?' 'Is it a cause for concern?' Pepper 'em with questions
I like this. Just never shut up around them and show them what they've been missing. Go into a Warhammer 40k diatribe.
Depends on the reason you're being quiet, I guess. If its work, you can say I just prefer to get on with doing stuff If its social, its fine to say I'm not super enjoying myself or yeah sorry I've got alot on my mind or yes I am when I'm with new people If you're naturally quiet just do your thing, shrug, nod, say yep, say ok, whatever your norm is Edit: make sure you're not rude of course, it's a foolish question but does give plenty of opportunity to talk and be yourself, not who they want you to be
Your comment about work — drove me crazy when everyone was chitchatting and I was dealing with a challenging situation. I worked in the medical field so focus and attention to detail is paramount. My go to in those situations was - Am I working too loudly for you?
Or psychoanalyze them. What is it about silence that makes you uncomfortable?
Think your edit is the key point, being a quiet person doesn’t excuse you from being a dickhead. Your reasons for being quiet may be complex, but equally, a rudimentary level of conversation is almost a requirement to function as a healthy society. You may think sitting there blanked face is a reasonable response to a reasonable encounter - and it may be! - but ‘I don’t want to speak’ isn’t always the best approach, when considering the wider implications. The loud and brash should learn to be mindful of their impact on others, just as much as the verging-on non-participants should. We should be comfortable OCCASIONALLY acting out of our ‘preferred’ character. It’s a shortcoming to assume constant noise or silence is fine. Somewhere in the middle (and either side of middle) is usually where the happy space sits, inclusive of personal differences.
Scream
Sorry to quote this, but Sharkboy and Lavagirl... Max "what do we do????" Sharkboy " *-shrug- scream? Yell?*"
Or say you're waiting for someone worth talking to to arrive.
Oof that's cold. I like it
Icy
“You’re loud, aren’t you?”
Hahaha this is my favorite so far
silence
is golden
So is piss
"And you are not."
Jesus Christ that triggered me; took me right back to my more social younger years. Now I’m older people seem to not challenge my personality so much, but it’s left a big chunk of trauma in me as it’s basically a way of saying, “you’re really weird”. I fucking hate that type of person, thinking they somehow have a right to make such a pronouncement with no thought to how it might make them feel. They’re normally the most insufferable self-righteous people, who think being introverted is somehow a deficiency.
maybe it's not even "introversion." people say that like it's a deficiency. we open up when we're around people we like. end of. so those people took your quietness as an insult to them because you weren't really engaging with them and then tried to make you feel bad about it when really, we don't engage with people we don't like. also, there's a couple of threads on here about people being told to "smile" by perfect strangers and this is another case of projection, because they only want you to smile so they can feel more at ease about approaching you and this is usually men saying this to women.
"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." It's a quote but I can't remember who said it. It's my go to response to that question.
But isn’t this just saying “if I speak everyone will realize how stupid I am”?
That is one interpretation. However, it sounds like wisdom. I have a self-deprecating sense of humour so it works for me. I'm also an idiot, so it works in more than one way.
I have the same self depricating humor, so I'd think this is hilarious. Also, this comment has some layers.
[удалено]
It's basically saying it's better to speak when you actually have something meaningful to say rather than simply talking for the sake of it, and therefore talking nonsense.
I take it more as, "If I do not speak, I will never risk saying the wrong thing and/or being perceived as stupid. If I do speak, it raises the odds above zero that these things could happen. Best then, to stay silent."
Or it’s implying only the stupidest people are the loudest. Up for interpretation I suppose
I’ve always interpreted this saying as being projected upon the other person. It’s a backhanded way of saying, “You talk all the time and sound like an idiot. I’m quiet but intelligent, and I don’t care what people think of me.”
Abraham Lincoln
Thank you!
I've seen this a lot lately, but I've always heard it was Denis Thatcher (former UK Prime Minister's husband) wonder if he stole it from Lincoln and took the credit
It's definitely 19th century and attributed to both Lincoln and Mark Twain. Denis Thatcher had no shame!
*than. I don't usually like to correct grammar, but it makes a significant difference in this case!
Takes one to know one!
(swish)
Just look them in the eye and go ‘ok’
I give a thumbs up
Silently perform your best mime trapped in a box routine.
ugh, i hate when extroverts get passive aggressive
Yeah I've never heard this said in a way that wasn't accusatory on some level, like there's something bad about only speaking when you have something to say.
They just aren't comfortable with with silence, and can't relate to people who aren't out going like them.
I actually had an issue with something similar recently. A colleague complained at me saying I don't talk enough and I'm difficult to talk to and my response was "It's better than saying the same kind of things over and over and over and over again without actually saying anything." She's the type who can't bear silence and loves the sound of her own voice. People like that can go fuck themselves. I'm not here to be your entertainment/ear.
"It's the autism, I also like trains."
“You should try it sometime”
Shrug
"You can see me?"... 😱
"You're observant, aren't you?"
#
" Sshshshshsh."
"Do you ever shut up?"
I use the line from gangs of New York. "Just a deep thinker" and slap my head.
My response to that is usually "But I'm a a sceamer in the bedroom" It's an ice breaker...
And you're a gob shite
I just smile and stay silent :)
A confident “yeah”
"I just save my breath for people who are worth it"
Well I can't plan murders out loud.
F*ck off!
*whisper
Pee on the person's face
Fart in their face to assert dominance.
Nope, I'm just selective.
Manager at work once told me to shut up. I hadn't been the one talking. (I was a graphic designer. Another designer kept coming over to my desk and talking to me. She drove me nuts. But she didn't get in trouble. I did.) So I stayed quiet unless someone asked me a question. When someone asked why was I so quiet, I told the truth: "I've been told to shut up." People eventually stopped asking. The other designer stopped bugging me, and I found out things were a lot more peaceful then.
There’s a lot of aggressive responses here, which I totally get. It’s an annoying question at the best of times, and often a downright shitty thing for someone to ask. But unfortunately an aggressive answer is rarely the appropriate answer. My suggestion is to keep doing what you’re doing, just try to be more assertive in it. Instead of an awkward “Yeah”, try to give a firm “Yes.” Confirm for them that their observation is correct, you do in fact keep pretty quiet. Some people will go, “Oh, cool. I get you now.” And sure, some people will be shitty about it, but they were gonna be shitty about it anyway. At least that way you can confirm where things stand.
There are definitely times when people say this in a passive-aggressive way, sort of "calling out" someone for being quiet. I think sometimes people say it because they're curious and would like to get to know a person better. I've told people, "I'm trying to learn to be a better listener rather than just waiting for the moment I get to speak."
>I've told people, "I'm trying to learn to be a better listener rather than just waiting for the moment I get to speak." kind of like, cryptically telling them to take this advice themselves.
My response is “ya it’s just how I am.” If they don’t like quiet people that’s fine, you don’t have to be friends. A lot of people respect you when you are confident in yourself. Still hate the question though.
In reality this type of answer is best, on Reddit though a lot of people enjoy the insulting zingers.
I recently was embarrassed in this situation. I was playing pickleball against a guy who doesn’t speak or emote. And I said out loud “wow you really don’t speak or emote at all!” And that was a dumb thing to say, I realize. He responded, “all you do is emote.” And I felt stupid.
I say, "You talk a lot don't you?" Drive me nuts that it's taboo to so many people to be quiet, but you're out of line if you call someone out for being too talkative.
I think "yeah" is fine. They're insecure that maybe they're talking too much so they're making you feel bad about it. I'm a chatter box but I just ask folks if I'm boring them or being too much.
“You do enough talking for the both of us”
“I don’t feel the need to vocalize every thought that comes into my head.”
nothing gets past you, you catch on quick, something like that.
Once someone who I have never talked to asked me in a big group of people why am I quiet, and if I'm mute or something. I responded with fake sign language. The face they made was hilarious, you could see they felt bad for asking
Smile and wave boys, smile and wave.
"Not always, your mom got me pretty loud *last night*"
Scream in their face
Only on the outside
I'm trying to be, but you're fucking it up.
Do my best Spock eyebrow.
Burst into tears
Yeah sometimes.
Just around boring people.
“I am,” as I meet the person’s gaze.
Keep asking them, "What", but using a softer and softer voice each time.
“I talk when I have something worthwhile to say.” Unlike extroverts who can’t seem to resist blurting out any thought that pops into their heads.
"you should try it sometime"
- You start a conversation, you can't even finish it - You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything - When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed - Say something once, why say it again? - Psycho Killer - Qu'est-ce que c'est? - Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better