Talking on the Phone

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I get uncomfortable talking on the phone or any form of communication where I have to speak verbally and listen to others respond. Even with my non-soulbond friends I get nervous as it's something I'm not used to doing. Plus social anxiety adds to the stress.

A friend and I did a Skype cam session a couple years ago... it was nice but I was scared and had a hard time finding the right words to say to him through my mic. It was also hard letting Shadow talk to him.

While I get the difficulty with phone calls, for me, a lot of it still applies or even more so with messaging. I might not be good at non-verbal cues and all that stuff but you don't even get that with messaging. I suppose I have been trying (with limited success) the whole online dating thing for the last 18 months or so and that probably influences my answer. When you are trying to get to know someone, I like to get to phone conversations as quickly as possible as I think there is a bit of a limit to how well you can get to know someone without meeting or at least chatting on the phone.

Luckily for me I tend to ramble so, while not always the best, it fills in what might other be awkward silences.

I used to be terrified of phone calls when I was younger. When I was a kid I could never do it without my parents, and I also had to know who I was calling or vice versa before it happened (and even then it was only a small select group of people for me give it a try). It was the sound of the voice over the phone that unsettled me, as it sounded off compared to hearing the same person speak to me face to face. This made it worse with relatives or family friends, as I wouldn't recognise them, think that it wasn't really them and panic.

It took a lot of practice, due to other health reasons, to help me make calls to at least be willing to talk to people over the phone, and not be overcome with fear by the strange sounding voice at the other end. I still feel uncomfortable when a phone rings or when I'm talking to unknown people over the phone as the unfamiliar voice still feels unsettling. Talking to friends and family however is a easier, as now I'm sure that they are who they are and so don't feel the urge to end the call as soon as possible.

Personally, I sense that a large part of an aversion towards telephone communications is basically becoming accustomed to communicating, and getting information online. This is especially true when there is a clear preference to handle business information, and mundane tasks online.

The telephone esp. an old-fashioned landline is best applied towards informal communications. Personally, cellphones are mainly used for emergencies e.g., roadside assistance.

In addition to my previous post, it’s a ridiculous thing to overlook, but maybe it factors in to my comfort talking on the phone that I worked call center jobs for years before I moved to software development. Lol

I’m glad I’m not the only one that have silence when you on the phone, i only talk to my grandmother.