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Thread: Telephone conversations: love 'em or hate 'em?

  1. #1
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Telephone conversations: love 'em or hate 'em?

    People are so itching for social connection these days, so reaching out more by phone is natural.

    Problem is, I hate telephone conversations. Maybe because I'm an introvert, I have no patience for sitting on the phone in idle conversation. I love texting, because the conversations are shorter and I can respond at my leisure. But if I feel I'm going to get locked into a conversation that will take more than 5-10 minutes I start looking for the exit.

    How about you guys? Do you spend much time in conversation on the phone? If so, are you an extrovert? I'm wondering if there is an introvert/extrovert divide on this. And do you have more of a yearning to talk to people on the phone more now, during the quarantine?

    I'm still doing the minimal, but I have to say that I had a great conversation with my MN brother a couple of weeks ago, and it made me realize I really should talk to some people more often.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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    Senior Member Tradd's Avatar
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    I love to yak on the phone. I had a conversation with a friend that was 3 HOURS last week. I'm a combo extrovert/introvert.

  3. #3
    Yppej
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    I am an introvert and I do not mind long conversations, but I only have a few people I regularly speak with.

  4. #4
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    I'm another phone-a-phobic. I used to enjoy talking on the phone and then I started getting calls from friends and relatives having health crises, and acquaintances needing money and insurers wanting to upsell me, and I got so I couldn't stand the sound of a ringing telephone. It was like low-level PTSD... I got a new cell, which took care of the insurers, changed my ring tone to something less insistent, lost some loved ones and others' health stabilized, and I'm better now. But really, I like email, where I can take time to arrange my thoughts, and where i have some small chance of being heard.

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    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    It depends. Sometimes the conversation flows well into interesting directions and other times, I am looking for topics to talk about even with the same person, sort of like in face to face contact, I suppose.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

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    I love voice calls. Texts are too short, and when are we done? Is the conversation over?

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    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    I don't mind being on phone calls- assuming they don't go on too long-- but I hate to initiate them. I feel its kind of intrusive to expect someone to drop what they are doing because I have decided I want company. I much prefer email, where I know someone is responding when its convenient for them. The folks I talk to under 40 never use email though, so I'll text with them, but again it feels rather intrusive.

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    Quote Originally Posted by herbgeek View Post
    I don't mind being on phone calls- assuming they don't go on too long-- but I hate to initiate them. I feel its kind of intrusive to expect someone to drop what they are doing because I have decided I want company. I much prefer email, where I know someone is responding when its convenient for them. The folks I talk to under 40 never use email though, so I'll text with them, but again it feels rather intrusive.
    Man, I wish someone would intrude. What am I doing, anyway? Hand washing socks? Painting? Intrude away.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Tradd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by herbgeek View Post
    I don't mind being on phone calls- assuming they don't go on too long-- but I hate to initiate them. I feel its kind of intrusive to expect someone to drop what they are doing because I have decided I want company. I much prefer email, where I know someone is responding when its convenient for them. The folks I talk to under 40 never use email though, so I'll text with them, but again it feels rather intrusive.
    You know what you do? Text them and ask if it's a good time to talk. I do this all the time. Works well.

  10. #10
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by herbgeek View Post
    I don't mind being on phone calls- assuming they don't go on too long-- but I hate to initiate them. I feel its kind of intrusive to expect someone to drop what they are doing because I have decided I want company.
    I agree--and that may be one of the barriers I have to talking on the phone. Tradd's idea of getting permission, or even setting up an "appointment" so to speak is the best way to do it, IMHO, and I likewise appreciate the courtesy when someone wants to speak with me. Most of the time, I say, of course you can call! but I do spend a lot of time on the phone interviewing people, so chances are I won't be available at the drop of a hat.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

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