Automatic replies

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When I'm out in public or at work walking down the hall, I tend to rely on automatic replies. This is where you're not really listening to what people say to you in passing, you just throw out a "hey" or "good, how about you?" to anyone to happens to say something to you.

Every once in a while it will backfire on me and I won't realize it until I've already walked away. For instance, the bagger at the grocery story will say "thanks for shopping with us" and I'll say "you too", or I'll smile and nod at someone who just told me that they're having a rotten day.

It's not that I set out to use automatic replies, it's just that it's so natural for me to be stuck in my own little world. I don't know how not to be that way.

Anyone else do this? If so, what are some of he embarrassing moments you've had because of it?

All the time. I'll even try to consciously remember remarks I see on TV or hear when I'm paying attention to others to add to my repertoire, so I won't repeat myself so often.

The most amusing episode I can remember was when someone I passed in the hall asked if I'd heard about someone's cancer, and I said "hey, great! Have a good weekend!". That took a bit of explaining...

lol, oh no! I tell people at the store "you too" when they say come back soon, but usually I dart off too fast to bother with explaining or correcting myself. I also told the lady at McDonald's I'd see her later... 'cuz I'd said that shortly before to my boyfriend.

When I worked at my old job, I got into such a habit of saying "thanks for calling J&N truckstop, Liz speaking, how can I help you?" that I'd say it when someone called on my home phone without realizing it.

I do things like that all the time too. It's nothing to worry about, though. We're probably aware of only about 1% of all things we do that might be perceived as "weird". As long as we're not hurting anybody, there shouldn't be a problem.

I always have to laugh whenever I do crap like that

That gave me a good laugh!

I do it too, I hate it when I get "caught"!

rofl

chokes

lol

more times than,

chokes again

rofl

you can count

lol

My mom gets frustrated with me because she'll ask me to do something and I'll say "Okay!", but really I won't have been paying attention at all (not deliberately), and the response is completely automatic. Later I'll have no memory at all that she asked me to do something, let alone what it is! You think she'd learn to make me repeat what she'd asked me to do, but I guess that could become automatic too.

yesterday and today. to people at the checkout.
i cant stop myself.

I've done that. Also, I live in fear that I'll tell a non-family member "Love you!" as I'm leaving, because that's always how I get off the phone with my parents or brother.

it wasn't cool to tell clients 'i love you" b/c thats how i talk to my mother and brothers as well. now i do it to telemarketers to be funny. maybe not to them but i laugh my ass off after i profess my love.

oh, I've told people "love ya!" before. ...and once, waaaay back, I was thinking about what I was gonna do when I got home from school (I was in 4th grade) and had my hand raised to answer a question I knew the answer to before I drifted off.... teacher finally called on me and I asked her if I could have a soda when I got home.

I did it once when I was a kid, which is why I'm still so afraid of doing it again!

I get off easy-usually when I say "love ya", it takes them a few to realize what I said, and I can play it off like I was talking to one of my kids, or just say I said something else and they don't realize it, lol. I know it still though

I had said it to one of my friends, and she definitely did not let me off easy- she totally teased me about it!

awww, bummer how old were you?

I do it now, but luckily I don't talk to many people AT ALL, so it's not hard to play it off as they all know I have kids.