Well, aside from the word "random" I can follow along....
...Sorry. No, seriously, I don't get that at all. I think you might have to be the type of person who gets actively energized by the activity in question to be of constructive assistance in deflating that particular mindset. Or maybe I'm just unimaginative (or undermedicated) on a Tuesday.
That said, I'm pretty sure I've gotten all of those messages in voice-mail at work lately.
Well, it's certainly an unthinkable action for most of us, but the dynamic underneath isn't that hard to understand - it's a power play, a way to try and get a reaction and therefore feel powerful because you're causing someone else distress. This would be why I feel comfortable labeling them as "sad and lonely", as healthy people generally have better ways of getting that feeling.
Hence, most of the comebacks are either of the "no reaction" sort or the "turn the tables" (by invoking the mental image of his mother, responding with something unexpected, etc.) What I'm not quite certain about, however, is this - obviously the person wants attention or they wouldn't be doing this. So, does giving them a scathing comeback make them happier than just being hung up on (because it's attention, however negative)? Or do they interpret hanging up as you being upset, and therefore is it better to show that you're unfuzzed before doing so?
It is quite the dilemma, isn't it? And if I knew of a way to Google it that wouldn't set off nine kinds of alarms, I'd be interested in what the answer really is. I think the typical response is to not feed the troll, but at the same time, I'm not sure (like you) which aspect is the most enticing and thus most likely to be efficiently torpedoed.
If it weren't for his brief assertions of physical significance, I would be afraid you'd gotten the attention of an amnesiac asthmatic telemarketer.
Hee. Sadly, it takes me a little longer to process auditory information than most people (one of the reasons I prefer reading/writing to talking), so by the time I'd figured out WTF he was saying he was already waiting for my reaction.
"Thanks for calling the Gay Crisis helpline. Please go to your nearest emergency room and they will be able to give you a shot to get rid of it before gangrene sets in."
I never expect to get this call, but I'd always thought the ideal response would be something like "Oh hey, your mom called and wanted to know if you could be home early for dinner. She's making that green bean casserole."
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missroserose) wrote2009-09-15 08:39 am
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...Sorry. No, seriously, I don't get that at all. I think you might have to be the type of person who gets actively energized by the activity in question to be of constructive assistance in deflating that particular mindset. Or maybe I'm just unimaginative (or undermedicated) on a Tuesday.
That said, I'm pretty sure I've gotten all of those messages in voice-mail at work lately.
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Hence, most of the comebacks are either of the "no reaction" sort or the "turn the tables" (by invoking the mental image of his mother, responding with something unexpected, etc.) What I'm not quite certain about, however, is this - obviously the person wants attention or they wouldn't be doing this. So, does giving them a scathing comeback make them happier than just being hung up on (because it's attention, however negative)? Or do they interpret hanging up as you being upset, and therefore is it better to show that you're unfuzzed before doing so?
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If it weren't for his brief assertions of physical significance, I would be afraid you'd gotten the attention of an amnesiac asthmatic telemarketer.
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don't really know, but...
Re: don't really know, but...
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Sorry, joke my mother tells...
Long, hard laughter is the other option.
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