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William J Smith's avatar

As a neurotypical I find it very irritating when someone STILL tries to manipulate me and try to get me to do things and go places that I have no interest in. Talk about the same old playbook! You’re right on the button about that. It’s not creative or sly on their part. No change in tactics over time. Predictable. This is one of the main reasons I have few friends now. Such a waste of my time. Things that didn’t bother me as much at say, 30, are beyond tiresome at 57.

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Athena Walker's avatar

I can imagine

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William J Smith's avatar

It’s also not surprising to me that many people prefer pets as companions instead of other people much of the time. Considerably less complicated and more rewarding.

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Luiz Neto's avatar

Props to S.O. What a man

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Athena Walker's avatar

Indeed

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Invisigoth's avatar

It’s curious. I have an an alleged girlfriend and housemate who apparently has a large list of scripts running in her head that she believes are the proper course of social interactions. Since I cannot even imagine how most of these little vignettes are supposed to play out I more and more frequently get what I have dubbed the “hurt outburst “ vignette

Now as we have gotten to know each other I have come to realize that she spent more than a decade being the bagman and driver for her former father-in-law in his mostly shady and occasionally illegal business dealings. So, I sort of comprehend where she got such a long list of proper “call and response “ scripts.

At any rate she can’t manipulate me at all and it’s causing her a great deal of stress

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Athena Walker's avatar

How unfortunate for her

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