Do you ever get the feeling you are talking to yourself?

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I use to post on WP a long while back, but recently rejoined. Up until now I couldn’t quite remember why I left the first time, but now I’ve managed to put my finger on it. It’s because of the fact that, when I post in the vast majority of threads it feels rather like I’m talking to myself. I can spend ages coming up with something I consider worthwhile to post, but when I post it, most of the time it seems like nobody even notices. I tried quoting others, as I thought this might be a better way to elicit a response, but nothing.
This isn’t meant as a criticism of WP. Many of the threads are very interesting and the people seem nice enough. And I think there are people posting here who get a lot out of the forum. But sometimes I think with the large number of posters and the way that threads are born and die so quickly on WP, it’s easy to feel that what you write gets lost in the works; or that you are alone amidst a crowd of people; which ironically is how I often feel in real life. I think therefore I will probably be heading off to see if I can find another forum, somewhere that feels a little more intimate. But just before I go I was wondering if anyone else has felt this way while posting on WP. And what those who do post here feel they get out of it.
Thanks.

Try making horribly offensive misogynist jokes. That always works for me.

Yes, I do feel alone here sometimes, and that I'm being ignored. I thought maybe it was just cause I haven't been here very long...

I have been thinking the same lately.

Yes sometimes this place feels a bit too much like real life for me to be honest. I think I need to be feeling quite strong to be able to come here and not get down about it. Which is rather ironic.

I hope you find a forum that suits you Quixotic.

I felt like that a lot when I first started posting, though I guess now I don't really care if nobody reads it, which wasn't the case in the past.

Yes.

Yes, I feel exactly like that, both here and in "real life". I feel like an outsider, only needing society to provide with me work and housing, while everyone else is part of something greater.

I feel like almost everything I have to say is useless, but I still need to say/post it. I wish I could remove myself from society and not feel bad about it, but even though I am very aloof, I still require some interaction with other people.

Most of my stuff is completely ignored, I just keep pouring it out in bigger and bigger shovel loads.

Really, it is not a personal indictment of you as a person. I noticed some of your posts; I just didn't have anything to say about them off the top of my head. It is the nature of the beast unless you are one of the few that elicits responses because of your personality or some other attribute of yours. Stick around, it is fun at times and you can leave and come back when it suits you.

Yeah, when I mumble I get this strange feeling I'm talking to myself. But then I tell myself I'm just imagining it.

Then, of course, I get this wild urge to contradict the voice and an argument ensues.

Wow, I didn't realize that you two felt that way. If it makes you feel any better, I always notice you when you post, even if I don't engage you in conversation.

I feel that way all the time.

Hi Quixotic, I for one would be sad to see you go. Your posts are always thoughtful and considerate and that's pretty rare round here.

I can relate to how you feel about not getting a lot of echo to something I had hoped would be useful, or helpful, or at least shed some light. Mind you, I also seem to have managed to upset various individuals with my posts. I'm NT and tend to make this clear, and for some people that's the equivalent of a red rag it would appear. So not all echo is good echo.

In that sense, WP is like a smaller version of the real world, which is what you seem to feel, if for slightly different reasons.

What I get out of it- initially I mostly tried to find information that would enable me to learn to deal better with a very good friend. And that is totally working. In posting I've "met" a few posters Whose posts practically always help me or cheer me up, and I feel it is worth sticking around and putting up with the odd bit of abuse in order to be able to continue to communicate with those posters, or even just read what they have to say.

So I hope you'll change your mind or at least not totally disappear.

I feel like that sometimes here but & on other forums I've used but I think people really do read my replies even thou they didn't get commented on. I don't comment on a lot of the post I read because I don't know what else to say about it or I don't want to derail the thread too much even thou I may of found what I read quite interesting & helpful

Hey, thanks for replying everyone.
Rather surprised I got this many replies actually; so I better make sure I am not a hypocrite and respond to each of you in turn.

LOL That sounds like an uh, interesting technique. It would certainly get you some attention from the ladies on the forum; just not sure it would be of the right sort. LOL
Interestingly enough, I do find that if you disagree with someone, if you are slightly annoying or even nasty, you get a lot more responses. But I’m not quite at the point where I would be happy to do that, just for a bit of attention.


I suppose it could take a while to get yourself noticed; especially on such a big forum where posting is fast and furious and what you post doesn’t remain very obvious for very long. Sorry to hear you also have felt ignored Sparx.

Thank you identity.
I only really came back because someone I use to be friendly with posts here occasionally; and because I thought that it might be a fun thing to do during the Christmas holidays. I think I’m probably just use to posting on smaller forums, where it seems people take more interest in each other.


I suppose for me, I can’t really see a good reason for being hear if nobody is going to read what I post; that’s not to say that what I post is any more interesting or special than anybody else’s stuff. It’s just that I feel I am here to communicate… and if I’m not doing that, well perhaps I shouldn’t be here.


What I find particularly frustrating is when someone seems to be going through a bad time, they post about it; and I think, I hope they okay; I get worried for them. I rack my brains to think of something helpful to say. But in the end it’s not even acknowledged. I think perhaps I get too emotionally involved.


This is good to see. Even if all this thread does is give IdahoRose the chance to tell you guys that, then it has been worth it.

Glad I’m not the only one.

Yes, I think interaction with others is important; and on some level I guess that is why we are all here; to get that feeling of connectedness which is not always easy to find in the real world. I have found your posts very useful, by the way.



I think perhaps I’ve worn out my shovel over the Christmas period. I certainly won’t be able to pour out any bigger shovel loads in the forthcoming year; so I think even if I did stay my presence would most likely go unnoticed. I won’t say that I’ll never post here again; mostly because I find people who make a big drama about leaving a forum, only to return a couple of month later rather annoying. For me there is no big drama, since I have never really become attached to WP.
Nice to hear you noticed my posts. I think perhaps sometimes I can anticipate possible responses and include a rebuttal; and this can make it harder for people to write anything in return.

Ah yes, the voices.
I never know who’s side to take when an argument of that sort kicks off.


If it’s any consolation, you are one of the few people I remember from the very first time I joined WP, which was years ago.


Hello readingbetweenlines,
It is good to know I come across as thoughtful and considerate as this is how I have tried to be. I did wonder whether perhaps this wasn’t coming across to others. For the record, since rejoining WP I have recognised a great deal of warmth and compassion in your posts and found what you have to say extremely well considered and informative.

You are here for the right reasons and so if you’re getting bad echo simply because of your NT status, then whoever is doing it should be ashamed of themselves.


I think it’s fair to say that we can’t reply to every post we find helpful or interesting; there are after all a lot of posts made here on WP; and there is only a limited amount of time in every day. Perhaps therefore I shouldn’t feel quite so bad about not making a connection with people here; or feel that I am just talking to myself and nobody is listening. Perhaps they are. Certainly I was surprised to get this many posts in response to this thread.
So is there anybody out there? Yes.

Am I talking to myself? No, but I shouldn’t necessarily expect people to tell me so.
I may pop my head in from time to time to check up on you all.
Take care.


P.S I do hope the smiley aren't too distracting; I may have gone a little overboard.

Actually, it's always men who give me crap whenever I make a Helen Keller joke or some joke about women belonging in the kitchen or not being able to drive or something like that. The women around here realize that I'm joking and come to my defense.

I have noticed that most threads have a LOT more views than replies, so people read things and maybe what you wrote is meaningful to them but they don't feel important enough to reply, like if they don't add anything then it's just distracting to say "hey thanks". The people who cry out for help are the worst ones to not acknowledge what people say in response. I figure that means they just wanted to vent or they are too depressed to reply. You are not the only one who goes through this. I don't get out of the house much, so this is my chance to get out what I think about things...if someone replies, that's wonderful. But if they don't I still feel somewhat satisfied at just having gotten my opinion out there.