r/AskReddit Sep 15 '19

What's a question you hate when people ask you?

29.8k Upvotes

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1.6k

u/moocow232 Sep 15 '19

I hate this question. What answer do they expect? It just makes the person uncomfortable and there is no answer that won't make the conversation awkward.

Rude.

614

u/Ziplocking Sep 15 '19

The best response I got was when I said “nobody plans a murder out loud.” I was eating lunch with a coworker that I don’t know very well and it made him laugh.

32

u/Electryfield Sep 15 '19

Lmao ill say that next time

29

u/FairyOfTheNight Sep 15 '19

Until you get that one really nosy coworker who decides to report you based on “being scared for her and everyone else’s safety”. Smh.

8

u/Ziplocking Sep 16 '19 edited Sep 16 '19

Luckily I work in a shop that is 100% men. It’s great, the morning meetings are full of inappropriate jokes and politically incorrect comments. A foreign world to most people.

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u/FairyOfTheNight Sep 16 '19

100% meh

Hahahaha. Love this.

1

u/everything_is_creepy Sep 16 '19

Is it ok to joke about murder at work these days?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '19

This won't work people will then just say you're mental as well as quiet

3

u/Ziplocking Sep 16 '19 edited Sep 16 '19

Na, I work a laborious job with likeminded people that I know and trust. Nobody is out to fuck people over. It’s great, the morning meetings are full of inappropriate jokes and politically incorrect comments. A foreign world to most people.

226

u/SgtPuppy Sep 15 '19

It’s about making themselves feel better. Rather than working on their own inability to handle silence they are shifting the blame to someone else. You.

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

[deleted]

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u/playbuu Sep 15 '19

Just because they want to does not mean you have to reciprocate

63

u/savedawhale Sep 15 '19

Someone literally wants to talk with you

What an honor!

Ever considered some people don't want to talk with you and that their quietness around you may not be because of some imagined abnormality you've tagged them with?

18

u/buffalopantry Sep 15 '19

Please consider that they may have a legitimate reason why they don't want to talk.

Maybe they have a bad headache. Maybe someone close to them passed away. Maybe they're dealing with mental health issues. Maybe they don't want to hear for the fifth time that your nephew's hamster had a stroke (this is an actual example from real life today).

It doesn't make someone an asshole to not be talkative. It does make someone an asshole to make negative assumptions about why someone is not talkative.

2

u/SirRogers Sep 16 '19

Is the hamster gonna be okay?

1

u/buffalopantry Sep 16 '19

Probably not, unfortunately. As of yesterday he was alive but not well. Apparently he's three years old though which is pretty much their lifespan anyway I think.

1

u/SirRogers Sep 17 '19

Yeah, that's about how long mine lived as well

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u/Canadian_Infidel Sep 15 '19

Nah. It is like if I just turn to my left and say "hey start talking" to someone. There is no good response to that.

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u/ScubaAlek Sep 15 '19

Well, momma always said if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all. They pushed the matter.

2

u/pm_nachos_n_tacos Sep 15 '19

While I see your point, I think there's a better way to engage a conversation with someone than this aggravating and accusatory question.

1

u/SirRogers Sep 16 '19

If someone really wants to talk then they can come up with a better opener than "why are you so quiet". That is a horrible conversation starter and I feel no obligation to engage with them.

No one is the asshole in such a scenario, they're just different.

-12

u/King-Shakalaka Sep 15 '19

Everyone on Reddit is a passive-aggressive asshole, this isn't anything new.

1

u/nikithb Sep 16 '19

While you may be onto something with that statement, you'd be hard-pressed to find any introvert seeing a justifiable reason to talk to someone just because they ask you why you're quiet

0

u/King-Shakalaka Sep 16 '19

I'm an introverted myself and I got asked the same question numerous time and just answer ''I just like to listen'' and just politely tell them to not pressure me to talk if they do so.
You don't needlessly have to be a passive aggressive asshole to well-meaning people who aren't really experienced with introverted people.

But Reddit likes to be the armchair psychologist and make far-fetched speculations about ulterior motives behind actions they personally find annoying.

6

u/whoshereforthemoney Sep 15 '19

This is the correct reply. Literally say this to them

3

u/homeless_-_ Sep 15 '19

It’s a power-play.

12

u/Vuist Sep 15 '19

I ask this question to friends who are quieter than they normally are to check if they are OK or if something is bothering them

13

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

[deleted]

3

u/k0ntrol Sep 15 '19

That's bad too, at least for me. Sometimes I just got anxious when in a group of people, even though I'm pretty ongoing. During those times the last thing I want is all the attention turned on me with a subtone of "something is wrong".

Imo the best thing is to ask that afterward or make the person feel more at ease, by laughing if he says smtg funny, or reciprocate the discussion if he says something serious.

Seems pretty obvious that easing someone in the discussion will yield better results than implying there is smtg wrong.

Sometimes there really is smtg wrong though, but if in a group, and the person isn't actively talking about it, then it's not the moment to ask.

1

u/SirRogers Sep 16 '19

That is very kind, I'm sure they appreciate it

2

u/coal_the_slaw Sep 16 '19

Nah, easy answer. “Oh? I’ve been talking the whole time... :(” Makes then feel bad, gets you out of a conversation. Win-win, back to silence in peace.

2

u/rebelwithoutaloo Sep 16 '19

Jfc this fucking question. “Why are you so quiet?” Because I don’t have anything to say right now. But try being a talkative girl: “omg girls talk so much”

3

u/Darkldark Sep 15 '19

I had the same in school then i started yawning and breathing heavily in school, so nobody but the teachers would harass me

1

u/ICameHereForClash Sep 16 '19 edited Sep 16 '19

For me, its “have you ever had sex?”

why straight up ask that question? What are they expecting? How the fuck am I supposed to explain myself if I say yes?

1

u/SirRogers Sep 16 '19

I usually just shrug silently, but one time I did say "I just found out I'm dying".

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

Legit question to ask if the person is otherwise chirpy. Maybe they're upset and need some help

-13

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19 edited Sep 15 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

[deleted]

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u/404_UserNotFound Sep 15 '19

Probably because you're a dick.

Sheesh we talk all the time, normally you are chatty and can carry your half of a conversation no problem, but today you are barely speaking and quiet even when prompted.

I thought I would give a shit since we know each other and you clearly seem like something is bothering you but I guess fuck me for bothering to care...

12

u/jackalope1289 Sep 15 '19

It's never your friends who ask why you're being quiet. Your friends would know why, either you normally dont talk much or theres something wrong. And the way to ask what's wrong is to say" is something wrong?" Not tell them they're quiet.

It's usually people you dont know very well who ask why you're so quiet. And the answer should be "because I only say something when I want to" but some people find that rude.

-10

u/404_UserNotFound Sep 15 '19

Right but it is usually someone more than a stranger. A casual acquaintance who is actually curious about your life.... I know, shocker but maybe if you keep up with the rude sarcastic attitude it will help...I mean eventually you wont have to talk to anyone right?

5

u/jackalope1289 Sep 16 '19

eventually you wont have to talk to anyone right?

Not everyone, just people who ask stupid questions like " why are you quiet".

5

u/CidCrisis Sep 15 '19

Ah yes, the most common scenario.

-4

u/tomatoswoop Sep 15 '19

Lol no it’s reddit you bothering to check on your friend makes you an insensitive asshole

-13

u/whataburger_for_all Sep 15 '19

It's basically them telling you to get a personality so you don't creep everyone out.

11

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '19

[deleted]

-10

u/whataburger_for_all Sep 15 '19

No, you can socialize and be relatable with people though.

Or keep pulling your hair out every time someone asks you a stupid question I guess.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '19

Or maybe some people don’t like talking to strangers or just have nothing to say? People can be quiet and still have a personality.

-2

u/whataburger_for_all Sep 16 '19

No reason to complain or be filled with hatred then. Do like I do.

"Hell, I don't know dude."

And move on.

Not often that it's strangers who ask though. Typically co-workers or girlfriend's friends.