Hi,
I have a friend and when I'm talking to him, it could be about anything, things he's interested in or me, his head starts to wander off, then once I've finished (and I usually finish ASAP so that he can get the point quicker and thus communicate back) there's a slow pause and he usually answers something like "....Yeah" or "....Defiantly" or "That's good" and then moves onto a completely different topic. He's also answered me but made mistakes giving away the fact that he isn't listening. He also tries to hide it that he isn't listening. But also, I'll make a joke, such as (just as an example) we'll see someone fall over, and I'll say, "Oh, I wonder how his trip was" and he'll just go "..Yeah..." or say nothing at all, when most people, even if they were just pretending and didn't find it funny would laugh, or at least say "Ohhh, what a cheesy joke mate."
Now, I don't get this with other people, so I don't think it's because I'm boring or anything.
The thing is, is that I listen to everything he says, even if I don't have any interest in what he's talking about, such as wrestling or even if it's really boring.
Another thing I've noticed is that when I'm talking to him, he can never keep eye contact, his eyes veer off away from mine when I'm talking. Could he have some kind of listening disorder?
What should I do, because, although I have quite a lot of patience, I cannot stand being ignored when talking to someone, because I'm such a good listener. I feel like I’m being ignored 80% of the time.
Sounds like he is not a good communicator. I know alot of people like that. I learned that the most effective form of communication is when one person talks and the other listens. This works both ways. I wouldn't be too concerned about the eye contact, although I would prefer it. Some people are just too nervous, shy or have not been raised right. I say all this to say, if your friend is worth having around then just let them talk and you just respond to their questions with a short answer. Try not to share your stories with them. I know this is not fair, but that's life. Save your stories for the friends that actually listen.
