placeholder to remind myself to tell you all about gamer/avid reader coworker

can't do it now because only 4 minutes of break left, and phone, not keyboard

OKAY SO! this kid (and I honestly don't know how old he actually is, I just refer to everyone who isn't visibly older than me as 'kid')

talked about:
-watching gamers play instead of watching sports (but that it's basically the same thing, watching someone who's good at something do their thing)
-how instead of watching TV for a couple hours a night like 'most people' he plays games
-repeatedly mentioned that he's an avid reader, always with the stress on 'avid'

he has also mentioned that infused waters are probably just a placebo effect (and then explained placebo effect) to his deskmate who makes his own infused waters because he doesn't like plain water, it's not necessarily for any health benefit

and I don't want to call it mansplaining, because he does it to dudes as well as to ladies, but it's just... IDK, his voice is very grating, and he often goes on about 'at my old job' and how terrible it was and how he likes it better here

Oh! He also explained podcasts as 'being like radio dramas' which is also true

and so like, I can't argue with any of this because I'd be a massive fucking hypocrite if I did, but it's this sense of 'I'm the only onnneeee' (he even said that about his gaming instead of watching TV: "I'm the only one that does that." and I'm sure he meant 'the only one I know personally' but ughhh bad wording)

and like, on the one hand, I kind of want to talk to him because geek friends, but on the other hand I'm going: "NO NO NO DO NOT ENGAGE YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DISENGAGE AGAIN!"

Do don't engage

thanks

I mean it, I did actually need to hear from someone else that I'm not overreacting or w/e

Not at all

I'll just keep on doing what I've been doing, which is to turn up my music when he starts talking (as I know he'll repeat the same thing 4-5 times before he's done)

and turn it back down again when he stops

and engage politely where necessary ('good morning' if we meet in the hall etc.)

Yeah. At best he had no social skills, and it's not on you to teach him

yeah, that's what I'm thinking it is

I honestly don't think it's anything malicious, just that he doesn't get it

and/or is SUPER USED TO having to explain himself/what he likes