You know, the guy who’s been having that same angry conversation about the same fucking thing he’s been obsessed with for the last 5 years and demands that you take his view while going on long monologues and then immediately interrupting anyone who tries to get a word in edgewise? And then goes into a weeks-long suicidal despair if you try to leave the conversation? Any way to deal with that?
Nov 4th elections.
Be honest before inviting them, that if they behave that way they should stay away. Any suicidal ideation should be discussed with their psychiatrist. There is no shame in cutting ties with toxic people.
I am thankful I do not have such relative.
And if I did, to the discard bin.
Tell him loudly that he doesn’t know shit and to shut the fuck up. This is the year you let it all out. You’ve been building a dam of tolerance for this person, a dam which he’s been trying to undermine because he’s too fucking dumb to understand the extreme restraint you have shown against the potential flood right behind those walls.
Let him have it.
Hair that covers ears and an earbud
Someone who becomes suicidal because you won’t listen to them rant is addicted to power and control. You’d ultimately be doing them a favor helping them wean themselves off it. You can’t be responsible for someone’s actions in this state. It’s a diametric opposite to, say, someone who is depressed/suicidal because they cannot afford food. They do not need you to listen to them. Tell them to fuck off.
Slap your knees , say “whelp…” then stand up and walk away.
How to admit you are from the Midwest without directly admitting it…😉
Sounded pretty German to me in terms of behaviour LOL
Turn it into a drinking game with your cooler family members…like, “Every time uncle dan says something racist, take a drink”
I broke contact with my family over twenty years ago. I learned that blood doesn’t make family, good relationships do.
You know that quote “Blood is thicker than water”?
The entire quote is “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”.
We found our family, and that bond is as strong as any blood.
I just wish I had gotten away and found them sooner.
greyrock that shit. they want to troll the libs, if you react to their fascist shit it’s giving them what they want.
alternative: “huh? drumpf? OH! That guy who sucked Bill Clinton’s dick! Yeah, what about him again? Sorry, the visual is distracting, don’t you agree?”
Set healthy boundaries.
“I don’t want to keep talking about this today.”
And then leave the room.
If they make suicidal threats.
“If you’re serious I’m going to have to call a welfare check.”
You could try bring an overactive listener. Ask a lot of questions “What does that mean?” “Can you give examples?” if you time them right, it’ll completely mess up his for when he’s monologuing.
Or, at the very least, you can have fun trying to see who can ask the stupidest question about Uncle Dave’s obsession.
Or, make it all about you, but only with that person.
“When that happened to ME…”
“That reminds me of the time <totally unrelated thing in your life>….”
“I have a friend who’s an expert in that and HE said….”
[edit] actually, what I do with those people is ask probing questions, things they couldn’t possibly know the answer to. As a last resort, I insert something that I know someone else in the group is interested in, and invite them into the conversation, exiting at the same time or shortly after.
Also, holding a plate or glass and then realizing you have to go refill it and making yourself scarce works.
Even more fun… Ask random unrelated questions until they break…
What was the horsepower of a 1971 horsepower?
Where did the phrase “curiosity killed the cat” come from?
What is the square root of 144?
How many moons does the earth have? (this is fun because it’s anywhere from 0 to 1 to 2 to many depending on the definition of moon of which there is no formal definition)
Bonus tip: works in haunted houses too. A zombie jumps out “I’m going to eat your brains!” just respond with a unrelated question “what is your favorite TV show?” it shifts their thoughts so much most of actors in a haunted house will break character.
Answer to all of those questions: 12.
you just don’t invite those people. if it’s out of your control, then you don’t engage
“If this is your entire personality it makes sense that the only place you have to talk about it is with people who think they have no choice but to invite you.”
“If you don’t learn how to read the room you may not be invited back into it.”
Just turn on FOX News for him. He’ll zone out on it as usual and leave everyone else alone.
