A friend who always calls me... Always...

[Sherlock77]

A friend of mine who is retired with an ultra active social life

We are both amateur photographers

He constantly calls me, texts me, about what I'm doing, what I did last night, etc...

He just called me five minutes (I didn't answer), most of his conversations are rather useless

He will constantly tell me about what he is doing, I work full time so I can't do everything, be everywhere, and I choose to limit to a certain extent my activity levels

And as you can tell he is rather nosy, I don't need to broadcast my entire life

Tonight? I know why he called - likely... To ask if I plan to stay up to watch the final night of fireworks at Calgary Stampede... I'm not because a) they don't interest me that much and b) I have to work tomorrow morning

For me - I feel like he is constantly telling me about his activities because he thinks I should be doing the same, maybe I'm wrong for thinking that

But I really do feel there is a comparison game happening, and I don't like it much... He is a friend, certainly an acquaintance

When he shares photos he takes (rather average photos most of the time), it feels like he's rubbing it in my face, "look what I did today", but I don't he means it that way, but that is the way it comes across to me

 

[Aspychata]

Think l kinda have a friend like that. And l just don't feel like jumping to match their activities. So I just stay low in the general conversations.

 

[Luca]

This could describe a large majority of my current friends lol. I'm not sure what to do about it either.

 

[Xerces Blue]

Honestly this is something extroverts do to try and draw you out for interaction - It usually means they care about you and want to talk to you.
They see these things as talking points something to make small talk about before going on to more "Important topics" should they exist - Ice breakers if you will.
You don't have to match their "exploits" just comment and show them something from your own life - it will give them something to talk about with you and that will make them happy.

 

[Sherlock77]

Honestly this is something extroverts do to try and draw you out for interaction - It usually means they care about you and want to talk to you.
They see these things as talking points something to make small talk about before going on to more "Important topics" should they exist - Ice breakers if you will.
You don't have to match their "exploits" just comment and show them something from your own life - it will give them something to talk about with you and that will make them happy.

I've never thought of it that way, and I struggle with texting

Meantime I'm off to work for another week, while he will probably text me at least one photo he takes today

 

[Sherlock77]

Part of it is that I get so focused on my introvert activities at home and the phone rings, it can be anyone really but it's often him... And it startles me because I'm so focused... and that is part of my reaction

 

[Aspychata]

Sometimes extroverts don't have good motives, so l keep extroverts at a respectful distance, and l look for pushy types or manipulative techniques that never work on me.

 

[Orange Glasses]

From what you have written, I don’t think he has any ulterior motives and is just trying to be your friend. He may see something in you that he worries about and is trying to help.

How would you feel if he just stopped calling or texting?

 

[Judge]

But I really do feel there is a comparison game happening, and I don't like it much... He is a friend, certainly an acquaintance

This is what would concern me as well. The one consideration that merits your scrutiny beyond otherwise what might be considered extroversion.

All I can say is to follow your own intuition, yet being mindful of the possibility of a lonely and friendly person sincerely reaching out to you on a social level that might make a number of us on the spectrum a might uncomfortable at times.