busyI listen like a man. I loathe girl-talk. It grates on my ears and makes my mind go away somewhere else. This tends to baffle or annoy some women, but there are plenty of men who appreciate it. Of course, this is also somewhat complicated by the fact that, in order to get by in society, I had to create a kind of autopilot personality. If you interrupt me while I am writing, or cooking, or engrossed in some other task -- it is entirely possible for you to have an entire conversation with me that I will not remember later. You were talking to the autopilot.
I've known women who don't do girl-talk; I've known men who do. There's a divergence of conversational styles, it's just not absolute. Interestingly, the amount of speech isn't necessarily gender-coded; there are quiet women and men who will talk endlessly about trivia of guy-interests.
April 5 2010, 14:39:33 UTC 11 years ago
I'm quite good at selective filters, I can completely tune out a conversation in the same room while working on computer or reading a book, and still hear kitten mew three rooms away when no-one else in room notices.
My son needs absolute silence to acheive homework. He is constantly being phoned by girls to ask advice on their relationships and talks to them for hours