Boasting.

TerriBull

Often in restaurants, or cafes, overhearing a conversation, particularly if you have your back to it, it's noticeable that some people conduct a monologue, so much so, at times I've wondered if they're actually with anyone, until the occasional "uh ha!" or" yes/no!" response intersperses the me! me! me! very occasionally. It's not an exchange it's often just one person droning on. I do think some people have absolutely no conception of "conversation" a verbal interaction between yourself and another/others, rather than dominating the time spent on a meet up with all aspects of their life and the people who figure in it. It's very boring to be on the receiving end of it, I think many of us have, hence this thread.

Alan Bennet says he got his best material from listening to people in teashops.

Oh well yes, there can be the occasional natural comic that is true, sometimes they're even on GN they are there in droves over on MN, certainly given me some laugh out loud moments over the years

I don't live in a bad area, just a normal suburban one, I have never met the people described on here. I have never sent a round Robin either.
My neighbour one side lives on his own, has a girlfriend and family, he gets in with his life, we get on with ours. The other side have children, we say hello and nod, they dont boast either.
I honestly don't mind people telling me their achievements, or if they have got something nice, why is it if these people are so boring, and boastful, do you stay friends, or listen to it. It seems weird to me.

Is anyone else now thinking of the truly wonderful Prunella Scales and Patricia Routledge in Ladies of Letters? Sheer Bliss.

Maureen Lipman?

Oh yes Aveline! Maureen Lipman was in the TV adaptation, they don't write 'em like that any more, perfect for a rerun up to Christmas (if the powers that be are reading this please!)

why is it if these people are so boring, and boastful, do you stay friends, or listen to it. It seems weird to me.

Good point, rafichagran but it gives us another thing to complain about.

Who was it who used to say with deeply mournful face "It's being so cheerful as keeps me going?"

The worst type of snobbery are those ghastly round robins

I couldn't agree more. We used to get one every year telling us how well their son was doing.
One year, they said "X can't decide whether to choose Oxford or Cambridge "
The following year they told us that X had "chosen" to go to Huddersfield. We laughed for months.

TerriBull

Often in restaurants, or cafes, overhearing a conversation, particularly if you have your back to it, it's noticeable that some people conduct a monologue, so much so, at times I've wondered if they're actually with anyone, until the occasional "uh ha!" or" yes/no!" response intersperses the me! me! me! very occasionally. It's not an exchange it's often just one person droning on. I do think some people have absolutely no conception of "conversation" a verbal interaction between yourself and another/others, rather than dominating the time spent on a meet up with all aspects of their life and the people who figure in it. It's very boring to be on the receiving end of it, I think many of us have, hence this thread.

A tip I picked up from Charlie Ireland (Clarkson's Farm) is to look interested and occasionally say "Really", "Really?" "Really" at various intervals in the monologue.

Can someone please tell me how to “unwatch” a thread? I accidentally clicked on “watch this thread” for this particular thread so now I keep getting email messages telling me each time there is a new post. I no longer want to follow this thread, but can’t seem to get out of it! Any advice please? I cannot see the “unwatch” button! Thank you.

Gilly1952 Click on Watching underneath Gransnet forums then click remove.

I have a relative who is/was so obnoxiously pompous that he trained his wife to be the same. She ran a business of sorts and everything she did was far superior to everyone else. Close family seemed to tolerate it until the DILs appeared. They took one look at the in-laws and promptly estranged them. We are talking here modern young professional women who have their own ideas. Now the relatives just complain on social media how they have been such good parents and how their children ignore them. Oh, woe is us!

I have always sent out round robins with Christmas cards and people often tell me how much they enjoy reading them! When our children were young and we had no money to go anywhere, there was nothing much to report, so I just tried to make it amusing. Our children used to say that people loved getting our newsletters because it made them feel that maybe they weren’t so badly off themselves!!

We always know someone who’ll boast
We know someone who does it the most
But we wouldn’t do it
Boast of boasters? Eschew it!
Except when we come here to post.

Sorry, but this thread made me laugh.

I lost 6 pregnancies at different stages,I would have loved more children ,but was advised to stop after my son .
I however have six bright funny and beautiful grandchildren. Who have spent a lot of time with their Papa and me since they were born and who we still see a lot even of the 20 something.
Of course I share with friends just as they do with me/us.
Isn,t that what real friends do?

paddyann54

I lost 6 pregnancies at different stages,I would have loved more children ,but was advised to stop after my son .
I however have six bright funny and beautiful grandchildren. Who have spent a lot of time with their Papa and me since they were born and who we still see a lot even of the 20 something.
Of course I share with friends just as they do with me/us.
Isn,t that what real friends do?

I like hearing about friends' families!

Poor you ,
paddyann - I dread to think how I would have coped with losing six pregnancies.
I know an Italuan lady ,who had to have every pregnancy terminated due to renal failure .
I'm so glad that you have six grandchildren to enjoy.
Bless you .
In the end her Doctor insisted on her having a tubal ligation .

Sometimes I look back on a social interaction and realise that I have shared too much or said something in a tactless way. Then I realise that I had not talked the issue through with a supportive friend. Unprocessed thoughts and feelings can come out in an uncontrolled way. Maybe your tactless friend lacks support?

Me too Buddleja I often have periods of insomnia where I go over and cringe at the many stupid things I have said or things that I should have said and didn't over the years.

Oh aren’t we all like that ‘why the heck did I say that’ ‘why didn’t I answer with that bright quip’ ‘ why the heck did I share that’
I think that’s normal especially in the small hours