Pet Peeve: Verbal repetition

[unperson]

It's a schtick with some people but i have observed some personality disorders have noticeable memory dropouts, maybe something to do with 'alters'. I find repetition of stories a waste of my time and thoughts, unless it's information I hadn't picked up the first time.

 

[Adora]

I’m guilty of this, it’s also a habit that my brother who also is on the spectrum has aswell and it drives my NT husband mad.

 

[BraidedPony]

When people talk to me I try to memorize everything they say. Sooo, when they repeat the same story it's a little annoying. On the third or fourth time I will say that they already told me that and it was...sad/interesting/helpful whatever appropriate.
I'm too old to waste what little time I have left on earth! lol

 

[Tcx]

I have a tendency to count how many times something are mentioned! I just find it funny when someone repeats themselves.
From what I observed, repetitive conversation is a built-in for them.

 

[BraidedPony]

It never occurred to me that anyone would repeat something on purpose. I just think everyone I know is going senile. lol

 

[Auriga]

well.. I guess that that's how "making a relationship" thing works. People have to make a minimum amount of conversation to maintain the relationship, but it's hard to come up with interesting and new topics every time. I guess they just do so to satisfy "required amount of conversation for staying as friends" without much striving. I understand it can be irritating tho.

 

[Mindf'Elle'ness]

well.. I guess that that's how "making a relationship" thing works. People have to make a minimum amount of conversation to maintain the relationship, but it's hard to come up with interesting and new topics every time. I guess they just do so to satisfy "required amount of conversation for staying as friends" without much striving. I understand it can be irritating tho.

That is a very unique and interesting angle, definitely not considered before.

 

[Mary Terry]

Some people incessantly talk in order to dominate and control everyone else. They are not senile. They love to repeat the same old stories because they derive pleasure from recounting stories about themselves. I've known some who keep aggrandizing their stories, adding new details, etc. I'm quick to tell them that they have told me the story before and I don't want to hear it again. It disappoints them that I'm not a willing audience and they probably think I'm rude, with no concept of how rude they are. Life is too short to waste a moment listening to them for the hundredth time.

 

[Simon Cusworth]

I've become quite irritated and vocal in my middle years at people who tell the same dang stories over and over again. It's like they enjoy telling the story so much that they're repeating it over and over again. I have started to be more vocal and ask them, "Do you realize you tell me this story every time I see you?", or "Do you realize that you've already told me this like 5 times?". Sometimes I get a giggle, sometimes they then add on something that really isn't relevant just to make it seem like it's not EXACTLY the same story. This guy I'm dating now, his whole conversation sounds like a copy/paste of the last time we spent four hours together.
What does this mean? How can they not remember that 3 days ago they told me this exact same story? My mother in law would say she's only making conversation.
It drives me insane. Like I want to gouge my eyes out. Or my ears.

Have you ever been told that you repeat yourself A LOT?

Oh, and it seems to be the especially chatty people (people who have the gift of gab) who are the most guilty!

 

[The Notorious LFC]

Isn't this just what people who can't perform music do instead?

 

[Soleil]

I read somewhere that repeating conversations and jokes was an autistic thing. I actually have to keep myself from bringing up old topics and jokes that I enjoyed. But sometimes I can't help myself.

For example, I enjoy talking about my cats, so I share my cat pics to my friends and family. Especially Orange Dude's big fluffy paws (I think he's a Maine Coon, so he's VERY fluffy). Or comments about my baby niece and how big she's getting.

But sometimes I kind of just want a do-over; like the first time I had this conversation it didn't go according to the script I had in mind, so I want to try it again (maybe online in a different forum, or to another friend/ my therapist, etc).

I know this can be annoying, so I try not to do it, but sometimes I can't help myself.
Wait, I said that already...

 

[Gracey]

many times I can't remember who I've already told the story, information or facts to.

I intend to tell both daughters but instead tell one daughter, twice

I can sometimes repeat the same sentence.
I may say it once then pause in order to organise the next part of information,
then repeat the initial sentence with the next part added on.
Like building sentences out loud.

I've noticed my elderly parents repeating themselves more often lately.
Comes with age I guess.

 

[Booknerd515]

(system member) Both host's parents do this, though they don't have other personalities with memory loss like host does. She can get extremely tired of it but every time she tells them she don't want to hear more stories they still end up doing so days later. She essentially tunes them out and doesn't really listen past a certain point. The parents, when she has asked them to stop telling the stories, think she is being rude to them by not wanting to listen to the stories she has heard a bunch of times. I, as a system member, was just told yet another one again earlier this morning that host has already heard once I searched her memory for it.

 

[WolfSpirit]

Emotional "vampires" that one inevitably must run away from. Yeah, I've met one before who I was convinced had Histrionic Personality Disorder. Where everything was a crisis for them...like the Robinson Robot on steroids.

Now that you mention it, that might be the best term for someone in my life. I typically say she has no emotional coping skills, and very little problem solving skills. She likes to try and insist that I solve all her (mostly social, but some practical) problems for her! And she knows I'm autistic!

 

[Amphilyke]

Sometimes people like telling a particular story. Sometimes people like hearing a particular story. I would loe to have someone be in my life and tell me the same things over and over. Usually when people change the things they say they're goin from "I love you" and "I haven't been more certain that someone belonged at my side since I met my husband," to "I don't know how I feel."

 

[watersprite]

When someone does it, it is hard to tell whether it’s a kind of verbal stim to make themselves less uncomfortable, or if they’ve got a memory disfunction. It is different from over explaining, which I tend to do despite not wanting to do so.

Maybe stress gives some people a problem accessing memories of social interactions.

When a person is a “talker” I’ve noticed they don’t like the absence of talk. It’s almost as though they need their repeated comments and stories to control, things / like the situation and consequently, me.

For me it is like watching a movie again that I don’t really like.

 

[Suzette]

This whole thread makes me laugh. During my first marriage my husband was close with his family. He like to visit them for every holiday, birthday and anniversary as well as attend the biannual family reunion. I swear the whole family seemed stuck in a loop centered around "the good old days". They repeated the same stories over and over again. I knew every story by heart and could even fill in if one of the family members weren't there to give their lines. I kid you not!
It drove me mad, MAD, MAD!