To think the hilarity just wasn’t necessary?

Maybe they didn't know how to handle your behaviour? It seems like you were pretty rude. The conversation moved on to a different topic and when you couldn't get it back to medieval history you walked off. When you came back into the room you then again tried to get the conversation back onto your chosen topic, ignoring that they had moved the conversation on.

Oh you're so sweet OP. No there was no need for that, and it was a bit mean but I can see why they thought it was funny and it gave them a bit of a laugh. I'm sure they were just teasing, no malice intended

Op, I speak as someone who loves history too, group conversations cannot be dominated by one and only one subject, they move on, ebb and flow, go off on tangents, not everyone will be interested in all parts of the conversation and that is fine, it is just how it goes.

You were bored and fed up by the conversation moving on to Donald Trump and wanted to change it back to what you were previously talking about but others had had enough of that topic and that is fair and reasonable. Walking out when you were no longer interested and trying to move the topic back is a bit rude, I'm not saying you intended to be so but that is probably how it came across and their reaction was to make a joke of it and I'm not saying they were right to do so either. It's a case of six of one half a dozen of the other, it's done now don't dwell on it.

I do think they were rude to laugh to be honest...it's sounds as if you're all very different and struggle to understand each other maybe? You seemed agitated that they were talking about something you didn't want to talk about and they were mocking because you chose to do something they wouldn't do.

Do you have many common interests with each other?

I don’t think she got the joke either as we often reflect on things we see or talk about. Example York dungeons. After the tour we sat in the park for a bit to reflect on it. I really can’t understand what is so odd about it, I think it’s weirder to leave somewhere like that and completely forget about what you’ve just seen

What makes you think people completely forget about what they've just seen, because they don't grab a bench to sit on and reflect?

Our family all take the piss out of each other for daft things, all in good humour though, never nasty. This is definitely something that we would do to one another if someone went outside to "reflect" on a group conversation. Doesn't sound like it was malicious. You need a thicker skin OP 😂

@DonnySue awww hugs hen. We all like to reflect on conversations that make us really ruminate.

My bestie has what she calls "process poo" and she toddles off after a chat for a poo and a think. Like a 5 year old, except she's 47 😁

I agree. Shameful comment from @Catpuss66 and spectacularly ironic!

@DonnySue, have you considered enrolling in a college or university to study these topics? You would be surrounded with like-minded people with whom to have conversations as intense as you want, and when you emerge with a PGCert or whatever, your family will actually respect you for that.

Basically, most people do not value "cleverness". It seems to be a particularly British thing to take the piss out of well-read people, like we're all still at school and you are the class swot. I have some immensely nerdy interests that would cause serious piss-taking if I raised them in extended family situations. Fortunately I have academic colleagues who out-nerd me and I can get my fix of Hard Problems whenever I want, which leaves social gatherings free for lighter matters.

So at one level YWNBU, but in the practical reality of the banter-based world that we have to navigate, YWBUnrealistic.

Haha… don’t worry about it @Acapulco12 water off a ducks back 😊 not shallow, not thick and not one bit bothered about what a stranger on the internet thinks of me! My siblings and I would rib each other mercilessly over this, luckily none of us take ourselves too seriously (also none of us are pretentious enough to announce we were reflecting anyway 😂).

I have seen this referred to but never actually read it before. Thank you. I held it together until her last post where she admits to being escorted out by security when I may have done some wailing of my own.

Everybody is unique. We all have our own quirks, it makes life interesting.

I would say what is odd, and what might make others laugh, is using the terminology of saying you are taking time to reflect/for reflection. It’s not something you hear people say very often, and I think could sound like you have a sense of self importance - hence some of the earlier posters references to attention seeking. I might say I just needed a few minutes quiet, or some fresh air.

Maybe we shouldn’t have to, but I certainly use different language and vocabulary around some groups of people than others - a bit of “knowing your audience”

It's not the same as sitting and thinking after an exhibition though- or talking it through afterwards, this was a live dynamic social situation and you just left it, not the same as sitting and reflecting on something like art, museum pieces or the cinema- and even then you have to move with the overall conversation, not just keep going on that topic.

I do struggle with this myself, I hate it when I go to book club and they don't talk about the book, but I realise this is my problem!

Our museum has benches so people can enjoy the gardens without having to sit on the ground 😳

I have lots of interests too OP, so I get you wanting to engage with your own interest and being pleased when it came up and you were learning about it- the bit where I think the social interaction started to strain was when everyone else wanted to move onto something else (politics) and you absented yourself- this seemed rational to you, as you wanted to carry on with your special interest, but the plain fact is everyone else did not, and you also left as if you weren't interested in their topics, only your own. Them laughing is probably to diffuse the situation, because it's a bit odd to leave a conversation as it's not going the way you want- that's what happens in groups, and most people don't get up and leave to 'reflect' on their own special interest topic.

You felt upset they were laughing but really it was just dealing with what was a slightly off social interaction, it's not that typical to leave when things deviate from exactly what you want to talk about.

It's quite common for me to do a bit of followup research on my phone if something piques my interest (and I am very interested in history), but this can be done surrounded by others or later. Are you focusing more on the emotional connection you feel inspired by the conversation rather than facts?

I think either way the joy of families is being able to gently take the piss out of each other

I work in a museum OP so I totally get your love of history.

But me and my family would've cracked up if one of them had said that to us! 🤭

Having said that, humour is a personal thing and if you don't find it funny, that's that really.

Do most museums have gardens and benches?

Stately homes have gardens because they're homes...

Every other museum I've been to has been in the middle of the town/city and didn't have space for a garden

I think this is uncalled for, CatPuss. This is a really personal comment and it’s pretty cruel.

I don’t think it is normal to sit in a park and reflect on it. Just because you don’t sit and reflect straight after doesn’t meant you forget about you’ve seen. Most people would talk about it as they made their way to the car/train/restaurant about their favourite bits or what they didn’t like or what they didn’t realise. It might then come up a bit on the journey home or the meal but it might stray into other topics too. At some point in the future, you might say “you know when we went to York Dungeons, did you know that…, I didn’t and I did a bit of research and…”. I also don’t get why you would reflect on anything historical but not something like a petting zoo. It seems like you are making your child reflect on the trips around your interest rather than actually reflecting on their own interests. It feels very self indulgent and this is really the only the interest of any merit. If you are going to reflect on your outings, then you should reflect on all of them.

I think that shows you trying to keep the conversation on history even though others naturally wanted to move on. Then rather than sit through that conversation, you went outside because it didn’t interest you. Everyone else sat through the history conversation that you wanted to do but you couldn’t give everyone else the same grace. Even if you didn’t want to talk about Trump you could have sat quietly, doing your reflection then (and if asked just said, you don’t want to talk about Trump as it’s very emotive and can lead to disagreements) or even just let the conversation rumble on for a bit and then offered to make everyone a drink. You didn’t need to step outside and unless your ND, it would be really irritating that you can only have a conversation on your terms and your specialist interests. It is really showy.

I agree. I grew up with family like this, who laughed at me for being me, took the piss and made me feel small for things I said or did.

I spent as little time as possible with them and didn't mourn then when they died. And I won't allow anyone to treat my children that way, I celebrate then for who they are and their quirks.