When someone tells you that you have already told them something

[Anonymous]

Oh man it totally depends how involved the story is. I might just say "ah yes you've mentioned this".

I had one coworker who found out my DH grew up in a foreign city. This coworker told me on THREE DIFFERENT occasions all about this movie he watched that took place in DH's home city. It was thriller fiction movie that contained quite a few stereotypes. I got progressively more curt each time he brought it up.

Some people are socially awkward.

[Anonymous]

My kid tells me this all the time.

I think it is insensitive.

Give the person the courtesy of hearing them out.

[Anonymous]

What I usually do is make a pack with them and let them know that I would love to tell them they already told me a story so they don’t waste time. I would recommend doing this with a good friend not just anyone. So no, it’s not rude. It’s all in the way you deliver it.

[Anonymous]

I am glad when someone tells me, I don't find it rude. They don't need to listen to the same thing again.

[Anonymous]

Depends.
Someone not close to me - I don’t say anything.
Family - absolutely yes.
I find the line between senility and everyday forgetfulness is how ppl react to “you’ve told this before”. If they keep on carrying on - they are senile. If they say oh yeah sorry and change the subject - they are normal. Nice cognitive test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I enthusiastically say "yes! you told me this! It was so funny!"

This. I do it with my dad and he happily moves along. Until the next time. Other times we happily let him retell.

I am fine with my family doing it for me/I don't want to bore them or be repetitive/would like to know if I am rapidly going crazy.

I think it could be too blunt for some people- or wouldn't work for others and they'd still plow into the same stories.



Side- note-I hate when liars do this as I find it particularly vexing when someone embellishes/bastardizes a story from tell to retell- or worse- pulls you into it as if you were a witness to the lies, in front of others. I want to tell them to talk to a mirror until they get it right for an audience.

[Anonymous]

It depends. If it'll be short I'll let it go. If they're launching into a long story I've already heard, especially if it wasn't interesting the first time, I will let them know I already know (kindly). If others are present, you shut up and listen again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this rude? I usually don't tell people when this happens. I'm especially sensitive if they're telling me a happy story.

No, it isn't rude. And I usually start my story by saying stop me if you have heard this before. It is boring hearing the same story over and over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had a GF who started saying that to me about 3 weeks into the relationship. I told her, listen, you talk so damn much (about 99% of crap I couldn't care less about) that at best, I can retain maybe 15% of what you say on a good day so you'll just have to deal with it.

We lasted one more week during which she never did shut up. Right off the hot/crazy matrix chart.

Glad she got away from you.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s rude. It’s efficient let’s get to the new tea.

[Anonymous]

I find it rude. It's similar to when people say "As I said". I avoid these people. Not worth my time to interact with rude people.

[Anonymous]

I’m a total hypocrite - I’ll feel hurt if you outright tell me you’ve heard this before (and I’ll stop the story immediately) but I used a slightly less rude version of this to shut down my overbearing MIL.

It would work like this; she’d begin one of her 12 talking points introducing the characters (usually her relatives or friends) like I’m a complete buffoon without a working memory. I’d mock-excitedly interject with specific details of the person and story she’s about to tell. “Will Janet ever stop fostering kittens?” “And poor Gordon (her DH) with his asthma!”

[Anonymous]

I think this is pretty rude so I'd save it for family. I think I've only said this to my mother and it's always some super boring story about someone I don't even know. However my husband has definitely said this to me and it always stings, haha.

[Anonymous]

One of my friends has no memory now since using edibles we all have to let them know 10000X over and over again it's NOT rude since they chose to keep using it knowing it's messing with their memory according to their own doctor.

[Anonymous]

I sometimes tell someone I have heard it before and here is why. If I react like it is a new story and then they later remember that they told me before, it seems like I forgot or was not paying attention in the first place. Sounds like people think I am being rude though so maybe I won't.