Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
34
votes
9 answers

Gracefully exiting a conversation with a needy person

I not infrequently find myself in a conversation with someone who I may like, but that enjoys (too much) having a willing listener. The normal gambits to close a conversation fail--the other party might launch into a long anecdote, or simply…
Curt
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33
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7 answers

How to deal with coworkers making comments on my dietary/lifestyle choices

I work at an office where I'm the only vegan in the company and a I choose to eat a lot healthier than most people in the company. People find it necessary to make comments about my lifestyle choice. Every time someone brings in food to the office…
sillygilz
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33
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6 answers

How to politely ask people to pick up the litter they threw, especially if they don't own up

I live in India. As far as I know, littering is not much of a problem in other countries, but India has always been a place where even the adults teach their children: "Beta, yahin pe phek do, sabhi karte hain". (Go ahead and throw it here, as…
Abhigyan
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33
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11 answers

Is a verbal response that directly expresses anger always the wrong choice?

Me: I understand, I'm just saying that I had plans but cancelled them because you said you were gonna show. Him: Well if I knew you were going to be such a baby about it, I would have told you I wasn't going to make it. Me: Well @#$% you then. I…
8protons
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33
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9 answers

How to stop someone from complaining about a third person in front of you without sounding rude?

I have been in situation where person X start telling me personal stuff about person Y and judging them for those things. It's plain complaining behind someone's back and I don't even know how much factual it can be. It might change my perspective…
Ankit Sharma
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33
votes
8 answers

How to respond to "What's up?"

Often when I start talking to people they say "What's up?". How do I respond to this? Should I say "What's up?" back? I typically can't think of any good response and usually settle with "hi" or "hello"; is that ok?
10 Replies
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33
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4 answers

How to respond to someone who broadcast hoax on a chat group in good faith?

Note: I should mention that this may be a cultural thing in Indonesia to broadcast or share "helpful news/article" in a group chat, or broadcast it to all contacts in BBM (not group. Broadcast is the most horrible feature that made me flee from…
Vylix
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33
votes
10 answers

How do I encourage my partner to use his time more efficiently?

My partner and I both work from home, and we each have varying degrees of work each day, but at the moment I am working more hours on average. Usually we decide together what we'll eat, we'll make a salad together or pancakes for breakfast and we…
user2929
33
votes
8 answers

How do I respond to praise for trivial things?

I bet it's something many people encounter. In my case, my mother does it a lot. When I moved out and into another city, I got sick and needed a doctor. When I told my mom, she said "Ooh! I'm so impressed you managed to find a doctor all by…
anon
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33
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8 answers

How to tactfully ask if someone is from the same ethno-religious group as I am?

I am an ethnic and religious member of a certain ethno-religious group. (You can probably guess which one, but I thought the question might be broad enough to apply to other ethnic/religious groups too). It's also not just specific to either…
LangeHaare
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33
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12 answers

How to handle unwanted touching from my partner's friend during conversations?

My partner recently reunited with a friend "Bob" from high school, who has also recently been divorced from his wife of 25 years. He has been visiting us quite often lately and we do enjoy having him around. He is still not over his divorce but at…
Tycho's Nose
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33
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5 answers

How should I behave to assure my friends that I am not after their money?

I have some friends who recently came into a great deal of money. They have always been kind and supportive of me. I'd go so far as to say I owe them a great deal for the practical help they have given me in the past. Now that they have a…
Matthew Brown aka Lord Matt
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33
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5 answers

How do I continue to be quiet without being rude?

I'm a man of few words, very introverted, and prefer to work in silence where possible (my own silence, music is a must have but I normally wear headphones to avoid bothering others). It's not that I don't like people, I get along well with just…
Wompguinea
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33
votes
7 answers

How can I make my parents (and parents-in-law) accept that I don't want to have children?

First I would like to give a bit of context: My companion and I are 25 years old; we will probably get married in a few years I luckily have a comfortable situation, and have been working for 2 years My companion still has to study for 4 years (but…
aperture
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33
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8 answers

How to respond to "empty compliments" after many years of playing along?

I am currently a church musician (pianist) and have been at the same church for many years. There is this one guy who quite frequently walks over to me while I'm playing, always making comments directed towards me such as "you just get better and…
Mickael Caruso
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