As someone who often talks to strangers, including taxi drivers (& has a talent for either attracting weirdos or getting the weirdness out of people 😐), I find this mentality not just rude but extremely strange.
When I was in California recently, meeting relatives I had never met or had not met for years, I was happy when my aunt complimented me for getting 2 cousins to talk, who normally don't talk. For one of them, I discovered that she loved K-pop. Do I care about K-pop? No. Did I know what I was talking about? Also no. But I was interested in getting to know my cousin.
Why do these people think they're the centre of the universe & others should only say things that are important to *them*?
Being good with people is a direct result of being honest with yourself. The reason you're good at making others feel seen is because you know what makes you feel insignificant. The reason you're good at validating others is because you know what makes you feel under appreciated
All you're doing is interacting with a past, present, or future version of yourself. Notice someone acting a certain way, you've acted similarly before when you were afraid. Notice someone using certain words, those are the same words you used when you lacked confidence. It's the same conversations you have with yourself in your head, just externalized
DIFFICULT DAYS: I have received many messages like this one over the past 18 hours:
"Have I missed a post from you about the tragedy of Charlie Kirk being assassinated? You are a great person, is it because of the political implications?"
Long time readers here know I don't do politics; I have no interest other than casting my vote on election day. No political commentary here, I am a meteorologist, not a journalist.
On this page you will find weather information, great photos and videos sent to me by followers, and information directly from law enforcement agencies about traffic, missing persons, etc.
As a "public figure" with a large social media following, I can make a few observations...
*Society has decayed in the past 5 years. I have been doing this for 47 years, and the number of threats I have received has grown exponentially. And I am just a weather guy posting radar updates and sunset photos. I can't imagine being an elected official.
*We have a mental health crisis in this country.
*For many, there is a serious inability to think critically. They have turned into radical political extremists on either the left or right. Mindless lemmings full of hate and anger.
*Some see no value in a human life.
The political assassination yesterday was horrific. And a sign of the times. Perhaps a harbinger.
Years ago I lived in a time when you could disagree about politics, but still be great friends. Now, for many people, if you disagree with their political worldview, they want to hurt you. Verbally, and in some cases, physically.
Social media is a very rough place now; simply a reflection of society. I strongly recommend that you turn off your phone today and just take a long walk outside. Too much negativity online can drain your mental energy.
And, remember, mental health is like physical health—it takes regular care, and reaching out for support is a strength, not a weakness.
One of my all-time favorite type of videos is pre-fame bands playing their extremely famous songs to a tiny room of people, because they're not yet known.
A thread of some examples:
Bastille playing Pompeii in what looks like someone's living room: