Not long ago, I was having a conversation with someone. They were going on and on about this and that and seemed to have no regard for the attentiveness of their audience (me). It was clear to me in this situation that no matter how closely I listened, they would continue rambling and I would continue saying “yep.”

What if it weren’t like that though? What if someone were telling me of something they are very passionate about and I were doing that? Would they notice? I would believe that yes, they would notice. If you really think about it, it’s a saddening topic. You are having a conversation with a coworker / friend / acquaintance / family member / significant other / etc. and they are going on and on about something you simply don’t care about. You “yup” along, and they finally catch you not really listening to what they have to say. It’s a disheartening situation that I hate finding myself in. And really like to avoid.

I like to believe that I “pretend” well. I can allow myself to seem fully engaged in a conversation and have my mind another place entirely. The only time this becomes a problem is when the person telling me things I care nothing about later asks me questions about them. At that point I would have no idea how to answer their question or how to comment on what they are saying.

I have this challenge with professional sports and the overpaid athletes sometimes. I really don’t care about professional sports at all. For some reason, I just don’t share the enthusiasm for this Red Sox player or that Red Sox player that the rest of New England seems to have. Someone will be telling me all about how good Dice-K is, and my mind is wondering off into a different “land” I find much more interesting. A few days later, they excitedly shout to me “Oh man did you see Dice-K in that game?” At this moment, I’ve got no idea whether to say yes or no. If I say no, they will become confused (as I expressed such great interest earlier). If i say yes, they might ask me more questions about the game.

So, I ask this: What do you do in situations where you simply don’t care? Do you “yup” along or do you tell the person you don’t care what they are talking about? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the person you were listening to knows you don’t care?