What's with people letting you know how busy they are every single conversation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, there are three kinds of people:
1) People who are busy or keep themselves busy (sometimes at real things, sometimes at trivial things, see "I have a busy social life" poster above) who constantly talk about how busy they are bc it feels validating & they think having no time makes them seem important. This is partly a geographical thing -- New Yorkers are the most like this. See (2) below.
2) People who are busy, but pretend they are super calm, relaxed, and not working hard. This is largely a west-of-the-Mississippi flex. In that area, being stressed out and over-scheduled/ "too busy" is not a status symbol, rather the reverse. These people pretend to be chill. They are not.
3) People who are intense, successful, and busy, but wear it lightly. These people accomplish a lot while prioritizing being humble and relatable. These are my favorite people. Most of my friends are in this category. These people have succeeded on the highest level in extremely competitive fields but do not feel the need to talk about it all the time.

You're describing people who understand it's not socially appropriate to make a big deal about their success or level of ambition. But you have no idea if they're actually humble or just faking it for you.

I do know, because these are my closest friends whom I have known for decades. It is part of the reason we are freinds.

If you convey that you don't find ambition or making a big deal out of your success acceptable, people who want to be your friend are less likely to do it around you. And that's a good skill, I'm not saying they should brag more, but it's a flex as much as either of the other two.