Two like ends
My quiet coworker is a chick magnet like me. Only he is the opposite end that attracts, and I’m the like end that repels.
Women at my work comment on why I’m so quiet. “Because conversation works both ways” I usually reply. Makes perfect sense to me, not many people have tried to speak with me since I first got there. And I am very poor at initiating conversation myself.
But the new intern on the other hand…he also doesn’t say much either. He’s younger with a hint of immaturity and his looks isn’t any better or worse than mine.
Yet I looked over and noticed one of the females in the office slightly sitting/leaning against his desk talking to him as he was sitting at his chair looking up at her. At this moment I took notice of how powerful and telling this position they were in. He wasn’t leaning over her drooling and overeager, he was resting comfortably and leaning back in his chair. As I said she was sitting on his desk and totally looked like she was interesting in him, not the other way around. You better believe that women will notice this. As she was asking him all about his college, etc, sure enough, another female coworker came over and joined the conversation. Preselection…I will talk about what I know about this in the future.
Meanwhile I sat there watching them silently shaking my head. People will jump on me and tell me that I’m the one that needs to talk. But that doesn’t explain the equally quiet intern.
Sometimes I wonder if I really am a “chick magnet”…….only that I’m a like end. And if you remember grade school science class, you know what happens to magnets when two like ends attempt to connect.
a gal in the office Says:
April 6th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
hmm…try a new reply when someone asks why you’re so quiet. Maybe ask your readers for suggestions to keep the conversation going? I met my hubby (who had still his v-card at 25) at the office.
Manda Says:
April 6th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
If somebody said “Because conversation works both ways” when I asked why they were so quiet, I’d be pretty appalled… sorry to be a downer but it sounds quite rude and snide and really wouldn’t make me want to talk to you.
The Virgin Says:
April 6th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I think the problem is that chatty people don’t realize when they ask the “why are you so quiet?” question that this statement comes off even RUDER to people who tend to be more quiet. If you flip it around, how silly would it come off if an introvert asked everyone why they talked so much?
Instead, why not try and start a conversation instead of stating the glaringly obvious? I know I need to make a bigger effort of it but conversation does truly work both ways especially if the new guy is on your territory.
More opinions on the subject:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080214222937AA9gDWa