Have you ever discovered that you can be in a group conversation, yet the only type of communication that's going on is one-way?
Here are some interesting tips from Cleo :
Attention grabbing : Are you guilty?
You know you've got an addiction to attention if you constantly :
- Call your friends not to say "hi" but because you need an instant agony aunt.
- Complain to anyone and everyone about how busy, unlucky, unwell, unhappy or unsatisfied you are.
- Could not conceive of keeping a problem like a fight with your boyfriend to yourself - when things go wrong you simply have to give a blow-by-blow account to your friends and you rely on them to help you debrief.
- Respond to every story that a friend tells you by talking about something similar that has happened to you.
- Move in fast when a new cute guy is introduced - you want him to notice you not your girlfriends.
- Have trouble being alone - when you've got no plans for Saturday night you bully a friend into coming over to your place.
- Feel you are in a crisis and can't remember the last time someone asked how you were and you said "I'm great."
- Exaggerate to get sympathy - e.g. by saying that you have unbearable menstrual cramps when they are really mild.
- Say "yes" to things you shouldn't take on - then complain about how in demand you are.
- Engage in prima donna behaviour such as throwing hissy fits, storming off in a huff, slamming doors and bursting into tears.
Ehehe.. I think I might be guilty as charged :P
Friend-Centric Conversation
Stop hogging the conversation. The next time you're with a friend let her know that she matters to you by :
- Making eye contact while you're talking - don't play with the sugar or your straw or you'll give the impression you're not listening.
- Kicking off the conversation by asking how she is and what's been going on in her life.
- Checking back with her about what she is saying to let her know you're interested as well as listening. Ask questions like "How did you feel about that" and "Does it still bother you now"?
- Avoide bringing yourself or your own experiences into the conversation for as long as possible.
- Make statements that show you empathise e.g. "That must have been awful" or "No wonder you felt so upset."
- If you get interrupted by the waiter taking your order or someone you know stopping to say "hello", make a mental note of what your friend was saying so that you can immediately pick up the conversation where it left off.
Sigh.. Cleo and
Remaja.. My 2 best friends :)
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NHA at 6:59 AM ::
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