HiveComb

Week 285: Talking too much (Q5)

When I say ‘talking too much', what comes to your mind? Something annoying, something loud, something horrific (hyperbole) or something people joke about at family gatherings. Honestly, I think talking too much is a bad habit; it gets one a bad reputation. It is just like an 'elaichi (cardamom)' in a biryani (rice dish from South Asia) or like a pineapple on pizza. Everyone complains about it, and guess what — the type which ends up getting dared either ‘to go home’ or ‘zip your mouth'. So, I am that guy. By far, no one has dared me to go home, but yes, I have been dared to keep my mouth shut for 10 minutes.

Okay, do not get me wrong. It is just natural, it is not all that bad thing. Because, here is the twist: I do not talk a lot everywhere, to everyone or about everything. I am incredibly specific. You have come across people, who talk nonstop about traffic, weather or their neighborly problems. I, on the other hand, open my floodgates when the topic revolves around my circle: politics, sports (football and cricket mostly), Netflix shows and movies, religiois debates or literature (my favorite). That is it, outside these areas, I am a real dumb.

In fact, most of the times people misunderstand me and assume that I am an extrovert. Nope! Holistically wrong. I cannot even ask for an extra tissue or a ketchup at a restaurant or more recently, I have realized that whenever someone say something good about me, my brain stops functioning. All I have to say is “Thank You!” and done. But HELL nah! The truth is, I talk too much in my limited circle and only when I care and thhis caring is a limited resource.

So, why do I talk too much?

Actually, I read a lot or at least, I pretend to read a lot. Sometimes, even a page is a lot for me, because it opens up infinite scenarios. But right now, that is not the point. The more I read, the more my ninja inside me screams, it says, “Find someone to discuss it or just lose your mind”. Being honest, it feels incomplete until I tell someone what I have learned, what I haave found interesting or which character I liked the most. No need to worry, I listen to them and their opinions as well. It is my favorite part because it always brings tons of hidden, pure ideas. Sometimes, it opens up the new direction; sometimes, it is a dead end. Or in some rare cases, “Voltaire? Are you talking about the electric shop?” But still, opinions matter.

However, my partner is not always ready for these intellectual drama. Poor she. One moment she will be peacefully watching her favorite Korean Drama and the next movement I will be like, “Do you know that the 38th Parallel is the border line which divides North Korea and South Korea?”

At first, she used to get offended, thinking I was humiliating her for not knowing this. And honestly, I get it. I do not mind at all. An intellectual (self-claim) mind must respect others. So, I have told her, whenever I talk too much, just shut me up. No objection at all.

My disappearing ability

Before ending it up, there is something which only my girl knows about. Every month two or three days, I go into fully cave mode. No morning walks, no evening football or gym. Zero socializing. During this time, I live with Kafka, Dostoevsky or my beloved Shakespeare. I read them quietly, peacefully and deeply. Without feeling the world because, I am still a newbie in this literary universe and I will always remain a newbie — just to keep myself indulged.

The real problem here is everyone around me is more into our own regional writers, poets etc. And that is totally fine. But that also means if I start a conversation about Dostoevsky's psychological torment or Shakespeare sonnet, they are not going to listen at all. It actually hurts :(

However, I get to discuss these things on Reddit with some strangers, and the fun part is they make me like, they have been waiting for me. Then, there is my professor, he grants me 20 minutes to give my opinion or make my queries. Andd most of the time, he will suggest me to read this article first and then, come again.

I face the same problem on Hive (plus other platforms) as well, sometimes I write comments longer than the actual post. I do not know why I do it. Maybe, the keyboard encourages me, maybe the writer inside me wakens up, maybe the vibe hits up, or maybe I just want to yap. But then, I suddenly think, “wait, am I overwhelming this person?” So I juust cut things down, edit, shorten and even sometimes, delete the whole comment. I do not want to burden people with my internal child.

Okay, I wanted to write more, but my last paragraph has made me realise the same thing.

So, abruptly, in the end, if you are someone like me, do not feel bad. Do not belittle yourself. Just find the right ears; the right company; the right platforms. And when necessary, allow others to press the pause button on you. This will keep the conversation healthy. Just remember, talking too much is not a flaw. It is an extraordinary feature and folks are just jealous of you.

.....

I would love to hear your opinion on this specific topic.

Peace 🕊

(Note: I use ecency app on my android, so "—/em dash is available on my keyboard)