Starting a social life

[hml367]

The only people I stay away from are the sniveling jerks who say stuff like "All "Name your country" are not as good as I am", and use every method, forum, body language available...to convey that.

Go home.

Good one, SL!

There are lots of people that think just as you describe, will not admit it or do not understand that is how they are, yet it shows through their actions and attitudes also just as you describe.

[JaseTheBass]

The only people I stay away from are the sniveling jerks who say stuff like "All "Name your country" are not as good as I am", and use every method, forum, body language available...to convey that.

Go home.

Agreed!

Except for the French of course.

Oh, and the Chinese. And the Americans/Canadians. While I'm here, what about the Ockers..?

Don't get me started on the bloody Jocks! Or the Welsh. The Northerners are just as bad as the Sweeties.

[fey]

Acknowledgment of another human being is perfectly natural, be they friend or stranger. When passing a stranger, a polite smile acknowledging the fact that they exist within the same ecosystem is simply that; an awareness. Polite awareness. Making eye contact doesn't require conversation, nor does it imply friendship.

To pretend that they don't exist by forced avoidance of eye contact is usually done out of fear, just as it is in the animal kingdom... Do look at the other creature so they won't feel like you are threatening them, thus keeping you safe. People may try to convince themselves that they avoid it because they have no 'desire' to make contact. That 'may' be just a cover-up for real feelings.

I'd like to think we are better than animals.

Do you really acknowledge every person who happens to be in your vicinity? You'd be 'assessed' if you did that where I come from.

A lot depends on location. If I'm walking down a crowded street in New York City, no... I don't acknowledge every person in my vicinity.

But I'm not in New York City. I'm in Chiang Mai. And the streets aren't so crowded.

I often just pass individuals walking in the opposite direction.

If they look up and see me, I see them and smile.

I don't grin like a made fool, and I don't necessarily say 'hello,' though might nod my head a bit.

But I do not pretend that I don't see them. To me, THAT speaks of its own pathology.

I used to do that, when I'm in a good mood.

Most of the time I'm just not interested for whatever reason. Point is, if there's no eyeballing it's just a neutral, not a slight.

Misinterpretation of a neutral makes it the other guys problem, not mine.

Unless of course i meet them on the corner later and they refuse to see me in the crosswalk or put rat poison in my coffee

[elgenon]

It used to be the way at the Los Angeles area beaches. That is to acknowledge and smile at the person walking towards you. I still do but it's not so prevalent with the addition of more self-involved people.