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1500 questions
41
votes
10 answers
How can I politely ask someone to get off their phone?
Firstly, I'm not asking someone to not use their phone at all in my presence. But, when I'm with someone and they're sat there scrolling through social media for a prolonged period of time and we've arranged to meet in a social capacity i.e. having…
Bradley Wilson
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40
votes
13 answers
How to get my coworkers and family to respect my hobby
Since I was a little boy, I have always been fascinated by model trains. As I advanced in age, I mastered the art of model train assembly and have gone on various trips around the country to show off my collections and to examine others.
However…
lioneltrains
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40
votes
12 answers
Colleague thinks that he is too slow
Background
I am frequently working with a colleague who is a little bit junior to me (but not particularly "fresh" - he has been in the company for over 10 years in a lead developer/expert role for some other software). He is relatively new in our…
AnoE
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40
votes
13 answers
How do I ask my dad's friend if he's interested in me?
This has been something on my mind that I just can't seem to shake off.
Backstory: My family has a group of other families that we regularly meet up with. We vacation, have dinners, etc. My dad has a pretty close friend among the group. Let's call…
vn1234
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40
votes
5 answers
How do I tell other parents that their child is a bully?
Our son is 6 years old. One of the other kids in his class is a bully.
This other boy (we'll call him Walter) likes to sneak up on my son, and physically hurt him. Sometimes Walter will punch him in the belly. Other times Walter will grab my son's…
Beofett
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40
votes
4 answers
How can I tell my husband I need time for myself without work?
I studied Computer Science and now work full-time as a developer. When I come home from work, I want to spend some time with my husband and the kid until bed time, and then play video games or crochet or puzzle, listening to audio books... I really…
Kinaeh
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40
votes
13 answers
How to decline a job offer from a previous employer, without burning bridges?
A little over a year ago I changed my job. Now my previous employer (a small startup) has contacted me asking what it would take for me to come back. While the place was not at all bad and I left on fairly friendly terms (as much as possible when…
AnonymousClone
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40
votes
9 answers
How to talk to my brother-in-law about my concerns about his intent to propose to his girlfriend?
I was born and raised in Italy and got married to a wonderful girl from Spain whom I met in the UK. A year ago my brother-in-law has met a nice girl from Italy and held a long distance relationship with her for about a year. A month ago she moved to…
ProcolHarum
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40
votes
8 answers
How to have dinner without romance involved
I live in a tourist hotspot in japan, in particular a place where people often go when travelling solo. This means that when people I know (even just passing acquaintances) come here, they often ask me to show them around (in particular, good places…
Omegastick
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40
votes
3 answers
How do I indicate sarcasm/irony online?
On the Internet, you don't have important visual and auditory cues from a person like tone of voice or facial expressions. Body language, therefore, is non-existent - yet this can be very important in conversations. The people in the conversation…
HDE 226868
- 8,995
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40
votes
6 answers
What's a good strategy to handle not wanting to talk much during a road trip?
When on a road trip it can be tiring to have to chat or talk the entire trip. I find long discussions draining and prefer to listen to music. It can also be distracting when you're driving.
I was listening to a song the other day and the passenger1…
user57
40
votes
8 answers
How to stop dad from telling the same jokes again and again?
Context: I am 23, studying in Switzerland. I have a really good relationship with my father. Often when I visit my dad(55) we go for a walk or just have a tea. We talk about all kinds of things and from time to time he will tell jokes he has told…
Hakaishin
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39
votes
4 answers
How to respond to an unfalsifiable accusation?
I recently shared a blog post I had written to a relevant subreddit. I've posted to this subreddit a few times and got good responses.
My most recent post had a response on it when I checked it in the morning (I usually post just before I go to…
Rhys
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39
votes
6 answers
What impact does "mirroring" have on other people?
Mirroring is mimicking the body language of the person you are talking to. It is sometimes recommended for people to help "break the ice."
But how does it create a positive impression? What do studies indicate about the likely reaction of the…
Tom Au
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39
votes
9 answers
How to join in when people are gossiping?
I have been struggling with this for quite a while now. Sometimes, I have to interact with people whom I did not choose as friends (read: family and neighbors). After the last event (a neighborhood barbeque), I had a talk with my mother about me…
Tinkeringbell
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