Being Unfriendly

[bgmnts]

I have tattoos and am incredibly interesting so how do you explain that?

Canada.

[Mister Six]

I actually like small talk, finding out bits and pieces about strangers' lives. It's great stuff.

[Sony Walkman Prophecies]

I've got a brilliantly unfriendly mate. You go round to his flat and, knowing full well you don't like video games, he'll play you 30 minute long trailers for video games and, knowing you can't stand Saragon and all that basement dwelling bollocks, he'll play you 40 minutes of that. I used to believe he might have been autistic at one point (as he claims to) but I've since realised he's a deeply difficult and inflexible person who just isn't arsed about accommodating people. Didn't even offer me a drink ffs. Proper Madhair.

[QDRPHNC]

This is not directed at the original poster, or anyone who is autistic.

But this whole pose of being above smalltalk. What kind of talk are you supposed to have initially with a stranger? The whole point of it is to cast a wide net until you find the places where your interests intersect so you can go deeper. I bet the ones who "can't be bothered" with smalltalk also don't do much bigtalk either.

[tourism]

I've got a brilliantly unfriendly mate.

there's a surprise

[Sebastian Cobb]

My boss asks me if I've got evening or weekend plans (always the formal plans, never 'up to anything?') every other day. Often I say no because my plans rarely extend beyond eating my tea and at some point going to bed, but if it involves going to see a film or watching one on mubi before it expires I still just say no to risk not having to discuss it.

This is information I'd volunteer to other colleagues but the frequent digs into what I'm getting up to outside of work are becoming wearing.