I feel like she was just being nice, but it just feel awkward
i've felt the same way about people's interactions with me and mine with them. that awkwardness came about when the distance between me and other people got broader because i didn't feel the way they claimed to feel -
i'm asking how these people feel but i don't give a shit. then that awkwardness turned into a distain when i knew they didn't feel the way they claimed to feel -
i can appraise myself to measure the difference between when i care and when i don't, which gives me a starting point to appraise other people, and they're screaming they don't care without screaming "i don't care" just like i did.
what is "nice" and what is "rude" is a two way street,
sending signals and
receiving them. what is "nice" and rude" is sent
ignorantly from and
to people via opinion, poorly understood feelings and compliance. which is to say that YOUR feelings of awkwardness matter just as much as her desire that led to you feeling awkward, but your feelings have to be more of a priority to you than hers.
would you feel any better if you responded "not always" instead of no? good measurement is the only way to sync these 2 signals and prevent interference (
awkwardness and rudeness), not just conforming to what the
ignorant general consensus might be at any given time for any given person; you might as well change your name to forever-awkward-sisyphus at that point. your feelings
as well as everyone else's only matter the best when they're measured the best, which sets yourself up to make the best judgements in the future. but that takes
understanding yourself first, then understanding what role power plays in conversation.
so think about this... you sacrificed for her nicety, would you agree? you felt uncomfortable. then, on top of that, she wants you to look at yourself for her. "
not much of a talker huh", which forces you to look at yourself, even if just for a moment, through
her perspective. does her desire to be nice overrule your desire to not feel awkward? and what about your desire to respond to her supposed niceness? when you boil all this down, it's your feeling of awkwardness that controls this entire narrative, right?
is this about how to speak to someone the best, or
is this about speaking to someone in a way that mitigates your awkwardness? or
do you just simply and plainly believe that your feeling of awkwardness prevents you from responding the best? if door #3 is most accurate, then your feeling of awkwardness is still in control and it's what separates you from knowing the best response to any question you encounter as well as what and how to learn from the experiences.
communication is a two way street,
sending and
receiving-- how much of that awkwardness do you think you'd feel if there was no one sending you signals to receive?