Do you info-dump?
Hylian
Citizen, Mentor
in General ASD
(I posted this discussion on WP last night, but I thought I'd also post it here.)
Do you info-dump when you talk to other people about your interests, and do you like when other people info-dump to you?
If you info-dump, does it cause issues for you? Do you let yourself info-dump or do you try not to?
I info-dump a lot and that's the main way I like to talk with people. I like sharing information about things that interest me, so if someone brings up a topic I like or know a lot about my first instinct is to start sharing any relevant information that I have about that topic.
I also like when people info-dump to me since I get to learn new things, and I like when people are comfortable enough to talk about their interests like that to me.
Info-dumping causes issues for me though since most people don't like it. They find it annoying, so I try to avoid doing it. It's hard because if someone mentions something I'm interested in I'll start talking about it and sharing info about it without noticing until afterwards, or until someone seems noticeably annoyed/bored. I try to stay quiet IRL most of the time because of the fact it's even harder for me to control it there, and I always bore people whenever I talk.
Do you info-dump when you talk to other people about your interests, and do you like when other people info-dump to you?
If you info-dump, does it cause issues for you? Do you let yourself info-dump or do you try not to?
I info-dump a lot and that's the main way I like to talk with people. I like sharing information about things that interest me, so if someone brings up a topic I like or know a lot about my first instinct is to start sharing any relevant information that I have about that topic.
I also like when people info-dump to me since I get to learn new things, and I like when people are comfortable enough to talk about their interests like that to me.
Info-dumping causes issues for me though since most people don't like it. They find it annoying, so I try to avoid doing it. It's hard because if someone mentions something I'm interested in I'll start talking about it and sharing info about it without noticing until afterwards, or until someone seems noticeably annoyed/bored. I try to stay quiet IRL most of the time because of the fact it's even harder for me to control it there, and I always bore people whenever I talk.
Do you like to info-dump?
- Do you info-dump?3 votes
- I do.66.67%
- I don't.33.33%
- Do you like when other people info-dump?3 votes
- I like it.66.67%
- I don't like it.33.33%
- Do you have issues due to info-dumping?3 votes
- It causes issues for me.33.33%
- It doesn't cause issues for me.66.67%
Comments
I definitely did, and I can still ramble on quite a bit: but I tend to let other people set the subject of conversation: response to the embarrassment when I had to have it pointed out to me that I’d carried on talking long enough for the other person to fall asleep... and wake up again... without me noticing
I also get called an encyclopedia by people, since I can dump a bunch of info about topics I've been interested in before and can remember the info for a long time.
I don't really get the "urge" to socialize/talk much unless I am sharing things I know about with someone, so I am very quiet IRL since I try not to do that a lot and have nothing else I want to talk about. lol
It used to cause issues when I was oblivious to when and with whom I can do it. These days I'm more aware of these factors and I can read body language much better and can usually tell when someone gets bored or annoyed.
Sometimes I still suspect that people might get overwhelmed or annoyed by my tendency of giving elaborate answers or input, even if it's usually a sign that I take something very seriously and give it some thought. It's actually a sign that I care about the person and our exchange.
As a side note, some NTs do this too when they're passionate about something, even if they might be more aware of when they shouldn't do it. I have at least two friends who can ramble about their hobby for hours I let them do it even if I'm not interested because I understand the need and I like them. These kinds of exchanges can sometimes be beneficial for both sides
A related term from Sci-Fi/fantasy writing is “expo-dumping”: when an author spends many pages explaining the entire backstory of their fictional universe without break right at the front of a novel... usually regarded as a bad thing to do (“just get on with the story!”)
And don't say Ok Boomer cause I'm Gen-X
Oh well: multiple redundancies in terminology can be of use to novelists, poets & songwriters
Fortunately the people I've been friends with usually don't mind since they info-dump, too, and will talk with me about those things or just start a different convo instead of getting upset at me over it.