people who talk but don't listen ...

[Arch]

We're listening - we heard you the first time!

That double posting does seem to be a man thing, I think they get over excited about pressing buttons...

 

[JtB]

In certain situations I find myself talking more than listening because I find certain voices difficult to understand. Its not that I can't hear them, but there's some problem or other with the frequency response of my hearing which makes differentiating between consonants difficult.

 

[biggs682]

but surely thats what us men do best

 

[Arch]

In certain situations I find myself talking more than listening because I find certain voices difficult to understand. Its not that I can't hear them, but there's some problem or other with the frequency response of my hearing which makes differentiating between consonants difficult.

That's not uncommon. I remember my driving instructor talking about the driving test and telling me that the examiner would say after a few minutes "Can you hear me alright?" and it wouldn't mean I'd gone wrong, it was just because they knew that some people find some voices hard to make out. No idea if they still do it. In fact I can't remember whether he did or not. I passed, anyway.

I do struggle with some voices, sometimes, or it takes a moment for the meaning of a remark to get through.

 

[c2c]

In certain situations I find myself talking more than listening because I find certain voices difficult to understand. Its not that I can't hear them, but there's some problem or other with the frequency response of my hearing which makes differentiating between consonants difficult.

sorry but, and i quote, "whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatever"

 

[mgarl10024]

When younger, I didn't have a lot of confidence, and so when speaking with someone new or important in some way (less with people I was comfortable with), I'd find that the pressure to 'be a good conversationalist (is that a word?!)' would mean that rather that listening to responses I'd be too preoccupied in thinking about what my next question was. I was so worried that I'd freeze up and leave an awkward silence. The trouble was that if your next question didn't line up nicely with their last response (e.g. if they'd already answered it) or worse still if they'd asked you something, you could end up in a mess!

Nowadays, I'm more confident. The worse thing for me is that someone makes a point mid-sentence and I drift.

Them: "So, I went to Tesco over the weekend, and bumped into an old friend. We had a long chat and it was really nice to see them. We used to work together - Fred - Used to work in accounts - you remember him?"
I hear: "So, I went to Tesco" *** brain cuts in "oh, Tesco. I need to go there to pick up some milk. While I'm there, what shall I get for tea.... ah yes, haven't had Toad in the hole for a while... hang on, he's stopped talking. Oh no, I've not been listening" ***
-awkward silence-
Thankfully I've now got the confidence to just say "sorry, I zoned out after Tescos as I need to pick up things tonight. Very sorry, can we start again..."

 

[colly]

On a similar vein I used have a lady call to collect the football pools coupon and , nice lady though she was, she could, would, talk endlessly about totally inconsequential things; things I had no knowledge or interest in. For example her daughters neighbours fall out with the council or some such.
Maybe because I am not used to being rude I would stand there for ( it seemed like hours) minutes on end trying to find a way out and say goodbye.

I swear she could glide effortlessly from her last fish supper to nuclear physics to the state of the roads to Chekhov (ok slight exaggeration) with no discernable join. Perhaps I just stopped listening but if I did she never noticed.