I was sitting in the break room with a coworker. She was on her phone and laughed at something on her phone and said “oh my gosh this is hilarious.” I briefly looked up but ultimately decided she wasn’t talking to me so I shouldn’t respond. But I feel like I’ve been in similar situations and I’m always on the fence about what I’m supposed to do. Were these people trying to get me to ask “what’s funny” or something like that? Why are you talking to yourself if you don’t want a response?
3 comments
Depends on how well you know the person. If you two never talk, it’s better to just mind your own business. If you two know each other well, it doesn’t hurt to check in.
It’s an open invite to a conversation. But it’s no more than that. I think doing what you did was just fine.
Don’t forget that some people speak out loud because they’re thinking something, not because they want someone to hear it.
Feel free to look over to the person that’s talking to themselves.
If their gaze catches yours, it might be an invitation for you to ask or engage in conversation.
If the coworker is still looking at her phone or looking away, they’re just talking to themselves