i do so

so if a co-worker who is relatively new (say 4 months here) said to you in a meeting:
“you never listen!” and he sounded sorta exasperated and when you replied, “yuhuh, i do so.” and he said even more short and exasperated, “you do not.” what would you think of that? i can’t tell what to think and it’s been bugging me since friday. because it’s a totally rude thing to say to someone and i have no idea what he meant by it.

should i just dismiss it? should i ask him exactly what he meant? should i just go have some more dots and not think about it?

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15 Comments

  1. Kevin 24.Mar.03 at 4:02 pm

    I’d poke him in the eye with a broom. Or, you should have asked him to prove it with concrete examples of your penchant for “never listening”. Or, you could be professional and ask him exactly what you meant so you can “improve”, which will make your manager smile in that approving managerial way.

  2. dainec 24.Mar.03 at 4:40 pm

    Since you’re still thinking about it, ask him what he meant. He sounds kind of unsure of himself. He also used one of those dreaded “always/never” statements. A skilled communicator would say, “When blah-blah-blah, I feel blah-blah-blah.”

    For instance, instead of…
    “You never listen to me.”

    …he could have said…
    “When you back away from me during our conversations, I feel you don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

    And you could have offered him a breath mint or something. Instead, his insecurity is just making you feel insecure!

  3. Wes 24.Mar.03 at 4:42 pm

    I don’t think HER particular manager would make that smile – I guess it’s possible.

    I vote for the dots. Maybe sometime we could play a game of dots? The turn signal indicators in the dash of my car are dot-shaped. Dots on your face are called freckles.

    Dot \Dot\, n. [Cf. AS. dott small spot, speck; of uncertain
    origin.]
    1. A small point or spot, made with a pen or other pointed
    instrument; a speck, or small mark.

    2. Anything small and like a speck comparatively; a small
    portion or specimen; as, a dot of a child.

    And that’s all I have to say about that.

  4. Bonny 24.Mar.03 at 5:06 pm

    If it were me, during the next natural conversation with this person, I would say: “I was thinking about what you said last week. Do you really perceive me as not listening/paying attention to you?” And hear what he says.

  5. Anonymous Coward 25.Mar.03 at 1:10 am

    Clearly he was fantasizing about you…

  6. Jeff 25.Mar.03 at 10:38 am

    Five words:
    “Cram it with walnuts, ugly.”

  7. UH 25.Mar.03 at 11:46 am

    I think I’d have said something along the lines of “If you don’t like it, you can chomp on a mouthful of my taint.”

  8. Wes 25.Mar.03 at 2:03 pm

    Do girls have taint?

  9. Wes 25.Mar.03 at 2:03 pm

    Do girls have taint?

  10. Wes 25.Mar.03 at 2:05 pm

    Drat! The dreaded double-post. Curse my clumsy fingers and slow interweb connection!

    Well, while we’re at it, let’s make it a triple!

  11. jodi 25.Mar.03 at 3:33 pm

    umm, what’s a taint?

  12. Natalie 25.Mar.03 at 4:42 pm

    Well, on boys it’s the space between the scrotum and anus. On girls, I guess it would be the space between the vagina and anus.

    Aren’t you glad you asked? 🙂

  13. Natalie 25.Mar.03 at 4:43 pm

    Well, on boys it’s the space between the scrotum and anus. On girls, I guess it would be the space between the vagina and anus.

    Aren’t you glad you asked? 🙂

  14. UH 25.Mar.03 at 6:33 pm

    That’s right, Natalie. ‘Taint vagina, ‘taint anus neither.

  15. Buzz 30.Mar.03 at 5:19 pm

    I’d have responded with, “I’m sorry — did somebody say something?” No more. No less.