Toadfrogs

Some People Talk Too Much

My trip to California has been, uh, interesting. I have spent a LOT of time with some of my co-workers (there are about 20-30 of us in the room) and learned a few things.

1.) Nobody should talk about how much things cost – especially high ticket items. The only exception would be if you got a great deal or if something bad happened (maybe needing a new home AC unit). Otherwise, talk about your new boat, but not how much you spent.

2.) Don’t talk just to talk. You don’t sound smart and interesting. You are annoying. Don’t try to guess what people are going to say. You look stupid when you are wrong.

3.) Don’t belittle people in a meeting when they are sitting next to you. That is just rude.

4.) Listen to what people say and to what they imply. If they don’t answer your question, maybe it is because it is a bad question. Definitely don’t repeat the question again. Then you look really silly.

5.) Don’t make things up to make yourself look better or other people look worse. Especially when others heard the same thing you did. Even if they don’t call you on it you look like a fool.

Did I mention I am the youngest person in the room by about 15 years? Surely I am not the only one seeing and hearing all of this.

  1. I’m cracking up here!!! Well said my dear – well said!

  2. You should post more, I could use some new reading material. CNN.com gets old after a while.

  3. I’ll see what I can do 🙂

  4. Which of these sins was I guilty of last week?

  5. Not to worry Hugh, I only wrote about people I didn’t really know. That way I can just say it was bad first impressions. I wrote this after the first day, and by the second I had already changed my mind about most everyone.

  6. 1) I never understood why people would try to sound important by price dropping. It seems the richest people I have met have always considered the inclusion of actual numbers in a conversation to be cheap and ordinary. So then isn’t the act of price dropping couter productive? If it’s just designed to reach downward, then what is the desired effect other than ensuring that you come off as a prick to someone that could never afford whatever it is you are buying?
    2) Don’t talk to talk? Ouch… Some of us just can’t avoid it I’m afraid. I’ll just have to try to be more interesting.
    3) I find it rude when stupid people sit next to me at meetings… but that’s just me. Actually I find it rude when stupid people are allowed in meetings. I try, however, to limit my belittling to an education level that excludes actual understanding in those people. When I am wrong and they do get the insult then I am truly sorry on more than one account.
    4) Like I’ve ever had a bad question… I haven’t have I? But seriously, keep out the stupid people (see part 3) and this problem is self correcting.
    5) Well unfortunately I’ve made up this entire post just to sound smarter. Perhaps I should have started at the bottom.
    As for the youngest person in the room comment, surely you must have realized from working at the PTO that age has no correlation to competency. Still I enjoy being the youngest (not that it ever happens anymore). I like the situation of always being underestimated. With the bar set somewhere just above being able to form complete sentences, it is much easier to exceed expectations. I think I would be much more of an observer if I were a company CEO and the oldest person in the room. Then any comment you make that isn’t incredible wise has to be considered a let down in the other participant’s eyes.

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