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Friday Unfavorite: Talking on the Phone

August 10th, 2012

Generally, I find myself in the glass half full category. I’m an optimist. Thus I have the Friday Favorite posts to talk about things I love. Every now and then, however, a dislike should make it on the list, so you can get an idea of a few things I don’t like.

I have a HUGE aversion to talking on the telephone. I’m not sure why, it’s just not really my thing – at all. It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t like this. Most likely it’s part of my introvert personality. When the phone rings I cringe, hoping it’s not for me, which thankfully it rarely is.

Lucky for me, Mr Chiots doesn’t mind talking on the phone. Thus he’s the secretary and makes most of our phone calls. Funny how it often works out this way, our spouses are skilled at those things we aren’t so skilled at.

Do you have any aversions?

19 Comments to “Friday Unfavorite: Talking on the Phone”
  1. Linda on August 10, 2012 at 6:27 am

    Oh, I totally share your aversion to the phone. I suck it up and use it when necessary, but I loathe it.

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  2. Songbirdtiff on August 10, 2012 at 7:24 am

    I don’t like talking on the phone either, I also don’t like texting so email is really the only method of communication I like.

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  3. Jessica on August 10, 2012 at 8:09 am

    That’s definitely one of mine, too. Also having strangers in my house … electricians, delivery people, whatever. I hate being the only one home when one of these people is required, which thankfully isn’t often.

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  4. daisy on August 10, 2012 at 8:22 am

    Having to talk to people I don’t know. We keep our circle small, so this doesn’t happen often. I don’t know why I don’t really have too much trouble with public speaking, but the one-on-one is SO much more pressure!

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  5. Donna B. on August 10, 2012 at 8:25 am

    I’m the SAME WAY… but it’s both my boyfriend and myself that are aversed to the phone… We have about 100+ missed calls on our land line alone. If a number I’m not familiar with is calling me on my cell, I let it goto voicemail and then I listen to that. Hehehe.
    An aversion I have is that I really dislike “selling myself” and being overly social… but as an artist and have to sell my art. It’s a terrible mix, it really is… hahaha! Thankfully I’m pretty geeky/nerdy, so if we can get talking about a subject I like then at least I don’t get nervous then! >D

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  6. Melissa on August 10, 2012 at 8:29 am

    I couldn’t agree more with you. I cringe everytime my phone rings and it’s a number I don’t know! My Mother is the only person I ever have an extended conversation with on the phone!

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  7. Rhonda on August 10, 2012 at 9:00 am

    I’m the same way. I’ve never liked talking on the phone. My father was the same way. I have relatives who get upset with me all the time because I never call. I can’t help it — if it’s something I don’t like, I just don’t think about doing it. Sometimes I have clients who want to have conference calls … EEK. I have the hardest time concentrating on conference calls. I feel much more comfortable doing my communicating via email and text. Plus, with email and text, I have a written record of what has been discussed.

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  8. K.B. on August 10, 2012 at 9:07 am

    I hate talking on the phone. As does my Dad. Oddly enough, though, for the ten years I lived far, far away, we’d chat, almost every week night (during Jeopardy – don’t ask), for well over half an hour. Now that I live closer, we’re both back to not talking on the phone ;)

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  9. goatpod2 on August 10, 2012 at 9:18 am

    I don’t like talking on the phone either but that is because of my hearing loss though. We used our bluetooth system a lot when we were on vacation last week, we have it in our new truck and whenever someone calls my cell phone and we’re in the truck while it is running, we can talk to the person while driving along, we mostly just talked with my sister-in-law.

    Amy

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  10. Turling on August 10, 2012 at 9:48 am

    Sweet Mother of Mary, I’m with you on the phone. Hate it. Always let it go to voice mail, then I check the message, and psych myself up to call back. I’m sure there’s a name for this affliction.

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  11. Teresa on August 10, 2012 at 10:35 am

    For me, it’s situational. I’m happy to talk to friends but when the phone rings at work, I cringe like I’m being summoned for torture.

    Reply to Teresa's comment

  12. M&M on August 10, 2012 at 10:53 am

    Yep, exactly!! She’ll talk on the phone…me, not so much. Despite the fact that I spend most of my days on conference calls. That may be where my aversion came from. It sometimes causes heat within the family because I don’t tend to make regular calls to keep in touch with family members.

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  13. DebbieB on August 10, 2012 at 10:53 am

    I hate the phone, even at home. MUCH prefer email, even with family. I like to carefully consider my answers and weigh the words. Phone conversations are too spontaneous and words escape before I can edit them. :)

    Have you read “Quiet” by Susan Cain? As a fellow introvert, I highly recommend it.

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  14. Maybelline on August 10, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    Okay. The more you post, the more I know we are soul sisters. The phone could never ring again and I would be just fine with that. I don’t consider myself an introvernt…more like someone that is content with herself.

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

  15. Sarah R on August 10, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    I also HATE talking on the phone. I will use email instead whenever possible. Or just make my husband do the phone-calling when email isn’t an option. I’m an introvert and generally not a fan of talking to people I don’t know well, but talking on the phone is its own special circle of hell. Forcing myself to do it more (for work and for things like talking to the pediatrician) has made me better at it (I no longer totally freeze up and forget what I’m supposed to be saying) , but it hasn’t really made me less averse.

    It’s always nice to be reminded I’m not the only one!

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  16. deedee on August 10, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    well, i was thinking of calling you today, but….. ;)

    Reply to deedee's comment

  17. Kelly H. on August 10, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Another (introvert) phone hater here. I have to, since I’m a Mom and do all the family organizing/appointments/household calls, but I hate hate hate it. I work around it, somewhat, with a smart phone that, though unfortunately still a phone, functions primarily as my organizing tool (and information and games) so I love it for that (despite hating that it’s a phone).

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  18. whit on August 10, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    Oh Susy! The more you share of yourself in this blog, the more i believe we are sisters of another mister. :) I am terrified of talking to strangers on the phone! Or answering the doorbell! I’m so extremely uncomfortable calling people i break into a cold sweat.

    I am usually a semi-social person in comfortable settings, but couldn’t figure out why i was in total panic in my own home when the phone or doorbell ring.

    I challenged myself this year by volunteering as part of the phone tree for our church’s funeral ministry. I have a list of 15 strangers, only united by religious beliefs, that i call on about a once a month basis to ask for their support of a grieving family. Each time, i am tempted to call the first couple people, then stop. There are been many times when i’ve hemmed, hawwed, sweated, and pep talked myself into calling one more and been surprised by such wonderful conversation. Maybe it helps that the voice on the other end is a sweet little elderly woman, but i’m gonna take credit for overcoming a bit of my fear. :)

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  19. Cam on August 15, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    It’s not talking on the phone that I mind. It’s making the phone calls that bothers me. A friend or family member, fine, but if I have to call anyone else, ugh. It bothers me and I put it off as long as possible. I’m better for routine work stuff, but I also have to make infrequent calls to certain people that just make me cringe (not due to content, just the making of the call!).

    Reply to Cam's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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