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Etular
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14 Apr 2010, 1:54 pm

I haven't posted for a while, but hello again, fellow Wrong-Planeters! I have yet another somewhat friendship issue that plagues me... For ages, I have been wondering about whether I have got with the right group of friends. The reason I bring this up is because, every time I'm spoke to I find myself spoken to in a rather belittling (well, the more accurate word would be "basic") manner, Most of my friends never speak to me about anything that happens as a whole, no-one ever speaks their opinions while in my presence (I am agreed by them all the time, probably as an attempt to keep up the friendship façade...), they think I'm the world's most gullible person (I just nod along instead of saying my true thoughts - so as to not increase tension further), they borrow countless numbers of pens/pencils off me (always returning them, ofcourse, but I can't help but feel I'm being used) and, quite frankly, they try to pin the blame on me every time I begin to let on about my suspicions that I don't trust them.

Examples of the above could be found below:

Spoken to in a basic manner: Self-explanatory. Where people might speak about Call of Duty etc. to others, they'll speak about "pretty little paper air-planes" to me... It makes me sick... Also, if I try to add myself to a Call of Duty discussion, my opinions are quickly shrugged off.

Speaking in hushed tones/keeping me away from information: They speak in hushed tones so I can barely hear them. I listen in for a bit to get the gist of the conversation before asking what it's about. They say "secret". I find out later it was something as minor as "Call of Duty" or [insert random game here]. Anything of higher importance than that and I would never find out.

No opinion: Self-explanatory also. They talk to me about topics that are so far from controversial it is unbelievable (I could quote "Pretty paper plane" again, but, for more originality, I will use "[insert football team here] is at the top of the league!" - but most likely won't elaborate). If I try to create a controversial conversation, they will always agree with my points - even changing their former points to match mine. If anyone insults me, they are met with "No, that's shan!"; If I insult them, they are met with "Hey! Ripped!"... Not to mention, a person that is a "Playful fighter" in the group is always overly friendly and timid around me...

Gullibility: 'Tis a sad day when people think I am so gullible to think that, in one of my areas of special interest (RPG/MMORPG gaming), I won't know the basic terminology of "NPC = Non-Playable Character" and "Mob/Boss = NPC". In a non-sarcastic, non-joking voice a friend tried to convince me that, on World of Warcraft, his brother was playing as The Lich King and he was as "the boss of the next expansion" - and that by beating them bosses, I was beating their characters... :x The worst part is that I just nod along in agreement to avoid issues that could occur in the already-tense friendship.

Borrowing pens and pencils: Self-explanatory. I've had many a lesson where I was ignored for the entire lesson except for the start where asked: "Can I borrow a pen?". I've tested this on multiple occasions to be proven true, and these are friends we are speaking about here.

Pinning the Blame: I ask someone if they can stop hiding so much from me, they snap at me and we "fall out" for a day. When he comes crawling back, I feel the need to apologise to him. He apologises to me. Rinse, repeat.

There is only one person in this group I can call a true friend, and he is preventing me from actually leaving this group (mostly because, if I do so, I will be unable to speak to him). My most infuriating thing is, quite frankly, whenever I am given an opportunity to join another group, even with their much unneeded consent, I turn it down in an attempt to give it another chance or because I fear the change/outcome. Infact, just yesterday, someone asked me I could pair with them for the lesson - whom was in a group I had wanted to be part of for a long time. Unlike my group, this group spoke overly casually and included everyone in the conversation, but didn't please the teachers too much and were somewhat disobedient - yet most certainly hard-working. The problem: This was shortly after two of my "friends" asked and I had said "yes" to them. Although I got my "friend's consent", I declined. In a casual, joke-y way, they replied "Yeah, thanks alot!" back, and I replied "My pleasure!" whilst smirking. All was fine until my "friends", yet again, yelled "Hey! Ripped!" then offered to high-five me. Being me, I can never turn down a symbol or offer of friendship, so I high-fived the "friend". He may or may not have taken it in the wrong way. After lesson, I apologised for not helping him but, again casually (and smiling), he said "Nah, I don't forgive you, shoo!". I snickered slightly and said "Fine, okay!" in a casual tone before separating and going to the dinner hall.

So, in conclusion, my two main problems are:

1) I'm too friendly to stop befriending/trying to befriend my friends

2) I fear the change of trying to get into a new social group (and thoughts of it failing) far too much.

3) Both one and two, as well as the fact that I am unsure of whether or not this is "normal friendship", put me at a loss at what to do.



jamesongerbil
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14 Apr 2010, 2:10 pm

Wow, I know that problem all too well, and I don't know how to stop it, except to cut them cold one day and never look back. Wait for an invitation to another group or something. It's a bit black n' white, but that's how I understand things. It's your life, you know?
Welcome back!



Etular
Sea Gull
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14 Apr 2010, 2:42 pm

jamesongerbil wrote:
Wow, I know that problem all too well, and I don't know how to stop it, except to cut them cold one day and never look back. Wait for an invitation to another group or something. It's a bit black n' white, but that's how I understand things. It's your life, you know?
Welcome back!


Thanks, both for the "Welcome back" and the quick reply. I would cut them cold one day but, like I said, I fear I'd find myself incapable of handling it. For an example, where would I sit in classes? I can't sit next to one of these "friends" or I know I'd be stupid enough to accept their fake "apology" yet again. As for the invitation for another group, I will try that - but I feel quite angry at myself at the moment for giving up a very rare chance of getting away from my current group. At the time, I fail to think logically. Instead of thinking "Who would I have more potential of being friends with?" I think "Will I get any reward for joining this person in a pair/joining this group?" - in which case, the true answer still remains deluded to me until after having made the decision to stay with these "friends"...

As for the "It's my life" comment, my past pretty much involves (at the start of my school years) befriending someone who is willing to start random fights with a person whose mother is a member of authority; Upon joining the "other side" , I find myself attacked, threatened and intimidated by this former "friend". I move school to start my life anew, at a private school, to be kindly met with a kid that has an obsession with head-butting the new student... Yippee... Next school I settle in, and I hadn't got rid of my violent nature I'd picked up from the other schools. It disappears over time, but I try to escape my past by going to a somewhat second-choice (but good standard) secondary school. I've had so many torturous events at this school it's unbelievable, but I've got through them all (with alot of help from the "Special Needs" Department) to be the quiet, timid person I am today who is overachieving in my year (Currently getting A's). Enter "friends" somewhere in the middle of that. This has naturally made me believe that I deserve such friendships... Thanks for the comment, but my self-esteem is pretty much rock-bottom at the moment in this issue.



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Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
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14 Apr 2010, 6:56 pm

I can relate myself to this issue. It might be an Aspie-thing, don't you think? I'm unsure.
When I am e.g. at school, where I am interacting with friends (at least trying,) I always end up nodding to their opinions, I just simply don't want to argue. I just simply find it easier to act like I agree rather than to speak for myself in most occurrences.
And yes — sometimes I might feel "used" as well. When someone are asking me if they could borrow my cell phone for a moment because they need to text someone — I always end up answering "yes, sure" simply because I don't know how to logically convince them otherwise that I don't want anyone else to use my cell phone rather than myself at the moment. It's not much of an issue, but it adds up. As I previously mentioned, I can very much relate to the problems you are facing. I am not sure if this post is of any use other than my sympathy. Also — I wish you welcome back, even though I have never seen you on this board before. (But that's because I'm relatively new to this forum, so it's nice to meet you!)



Etular
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15 Apr 2010, 4:01 pm

Hidden wrote:
I can relate myself to this issue. It might be an Aspie-thing, don't you think? I'm unsure.
When I am e.g. at school, where I am interacting with friends (at least trying,) I always end up nodding to their opinions, I just simply don't want to argue. I just simply find it easier to act like I agree rather than to speak for myself in most occurrences.
And yes — sometimes I might feel "used" as well. When someone are asking me if they could borrow my cell phone for a moment because they need to text someone — I always end up answering "yes, sure" simply because I don't know how to logically convince them otherwise that I don't want anyone else to use my cell phone rather than myself at the moment. It's not much of an issue, but it adds up. As I previously mentioned, I can very much relate to the problems you are facing. I am not sure if this post is of any use other than my sympathy.


Thank you. I feel that, although the nodding along/being used is partially aspie, the way they are treating me (Gullibility etc.) is somewhat a very large portion of the contributing factor of what is angering me most at the moment. Like you said yourself, it's not much of an issue, but that adds up (with all the rest). I just wish there was an answer that I could easily do (Well, truthfully, giving them the cold shoulder would be especially difficult for myself - even when I hate someone, I just cannot ignore someone I have been with for so long for some reason)..

Hidden wrote:
Also — I wish you welcome back, even though I have never seen you on this board before. (But that's because I'm relatively new to this forum, so it's nice to meet you!)


Thanks.



Etular
Sea Gull
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16 Apr 2010, 10:04 am

Update: These "friends" were being rather arrogant, pompous creatures today. I try to reason with one of them, and they avoid every point I put to them. I reason with one of them saying "Look, we both know that if I were to insult you you would not take any offence, but if another friend were to do so you clearly would..." just to be met with "Oh, but I am an idiot!"...

I try this method for about 10 minutes before asking "Do you not know what I'm talking about here, or are you just being plain ignorant?". Apparently, the latter - as he answered "Oh, I know what you're talking about but, quite frankly, I don't care". Well, he cared when I started to ignore him. He didn't show it in that lesson, but in the lesson after, I was sat right in the middle of this group. They thought it appropriate to infuriate me by besmirching my highly-valued honour. How, you ask? Some terribly-acted plan where one of the "friends" loses a pencil, goes to "look in my bag" then slides it out of his sleeve and says "Hey, it was in his bag! He stole it!". I ignored it, obviously, and the last think I said before leaving: "I would never stoop so low as to steal from or frame you, idiots"...

So, now I have until Monday to find better seating arrangements...



Etular
Sea Gull
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19 Apr 2010, 3:55 pm

Update #2: I was off on the Monday due to a completely unrelated Doctor's appointment. When I got back, i noticed vulgar messages had been sent on the Xbox Live. Obviously, I reported then ignored them - but this appears to be a sign of what many would consider to be "bad blood", I fear.