On telephones
You can think I’m a horrible person, but when I’m talking to you on
the telephone, I’m hoping you have some sort of emergency, like a
fire, so you have to get off the phone. It’s not personal, it isn’t
you. I just hate talking on the phone that much.
This might strike some people as odd. I like to talk in person, and
face to face, I do a fair job hiding that I’m introverted (usualy by
being the loudest guy in the room). However, when I’m on the phone,
even with people I like, and want or need to talk to, I’m always
trying to come up with a reason to get off the phone.
I think there are a couple things going on here. First, when you can’t
see a person, you lose a lot of visual cues to help move the
conversation along. This cab be crippling to one who counts on those
cues to gauge how the discussion us going. Second, most of the time,
the phone is people wanting something from you. For me, this poisons
the tool for pleasant experiences.
If you’re a company, and I have to call you, you probably won’t be my
first choice to do business with.
If you’re a friend, and will only interact over the phone, expect me
not to call, expect the calls to be short, and expect me to be
distracted.
This isn’t a new thing for me, and most of my friends know it (because
any relationships that very dependant on the phone have withered).
I’m hoping I’m not alone with my hatred of talking on the phone. If I
am or I’m not, let me know.
You are absolutely not alone. I hate the phone, too. What makes it even stranger is that as a kid, I’d spend HOURS on the phone with my friends. An extension for my room was my first major purchase with my allowance! But right about when I hit Real Adulthood, that was it.
I mind it slightly less (but still dread it) when I make an arrangement to speak on the phone ahead of time. I think that’s because the “people wanting something from you” element is slightly more managed.
Yeah, you aren’t alone. In all honesty, lugging boulders up hills is easier for me than answering phones. I think most introverts, especially ones similar to you and me, have the same problem.