To think the hilarity just wasn’t necessary?

NB. @Spinet - I believe your observation is more correct than some people realise. There has been a marked and noticeable decline in education standards over the past two decades. It's a fact that some universities have had to dumb down their degree programmes, for example by reducing reading lists and cutting into learning time by teaching the sort of formulaic study skills I had to figure out for myself as an undergraduate.

Universities are now competing in an aggressive business market. The aim is now to get backsides onto seats and keep them there. By what means, and what this means for the quality of the degrees they eventually churn out, it no longer particularly matters. Obviously some areas of the H.E. sector are worse for it than others, but I can vouch for the fact that this happens across the board.

Really? Would you say the same of someone going outside for a vape, for example?

No. Of course you wouldn't.

I think there’s an important distinction between “weird” and “unusual” here. I don’t think it’s weird at all to have a strong interest in history or any other topic. I do think it’s unusual to be SO interested that you have to take time out to reflect on a discussion and then, when you’ve had that reflection time, to come back in and try to steer the discussion back around to a topic from which everyone else has moved on.

When you say “But don’t you find it fascinating? How can you not?”, aren’t you essentially saying others are the weird ones for not being as interested in history as you? They were confused by the extreme extent of your interest, just as you are confused that they don’t want to spend hours on your particular pet topic.

It’s also more so the fact the conversation had moved on and she was trying to revert it back to what she wanted to talk about when the others clearly didn’t want to.

Quite. You can think about what you want while you're having a smoke/vape. It is 'uncool' to say you were reflecting on something you're interested in, which is what caused the hilarity. That's a bit of British culture and not a very productive one. If people haven't experienced it they're lucky but I would say it is ALL OVER this thread.

Some families are mean and joshy - my own is an example, but I would've just said something along the lines of 'just because you're all too uncultured to actually think about things if they're not love Island' or whatever and it would have moved on. They would have stopped if I was genuinely upset though. I wonder why this family didn't.

Some families are mean and joshy - my own is an example, but I would've just said something along the lines of 'just because you're all too uncultured to actually think about things if they're not love Island' or whatever and it would have moved on.

I know it sounds crazy but you can be cultured without being rude or pretentious.

I know - that's why I said 'mean'. I was illustrating an imagined mean interaction with family in retort to them laughing at me. Not saying what I think cultured really means.

Those of you reassuring OP that she’s the lovely clever one and her family are all pig-thick dullards who are only interested in useless trivia are not being as kind as you think you are. You could reassure the OP without resorting to insulting others.

But no one has suggested otherwise. History is enormously interesting to vast numbers of people. What you seem unable to explain is what exactly it was in your family conversation about medieval history you needed to go outdoors to ‘reflect on’, why your thoughts were ‘ruined’ by your family laughing, and why you then tried to revert to the earlier subject and got annoyed when your family used joky excuses about ‘reflecting’ not to.

None of this has anything to do with history, or indeed any subject of interest, or other people being stupid and unreflective. It’s to do with social interactions that even your immediate family, who must be used to you, find a little unusual. And in this case funny.

Are you easily overwhelmed?

It’s nothing whatsoever to do with intelligence, anyway.

Lol, any particular reason why I am "overthinking this" when I'm stating the same thing as 100 other people who can see this is exactly what's happened. Okkkkk.....

@Spinet I meant the OP was rude and pretentious

OP, maybe if more people took a moment to reflect the world would be a much nicer place. YANBU and have inspired me to spend a little more time in my thoughts as life is so chaotic these days. I couldn't care less if people want to laugh - says more about them.

@DonnySue
The saddest part here is that your own DD has picked a lane. She was the one who went back to the others to mock you and instigate the piss taking

Your family are toxic and you are the scapegoat - and your daughter has learned this dynamic and is now cheerleadering it

Seriously put a stop to this and draw up some boundaries before you end up with no self confidence whatsoever

Ops dd did not do that. She simply told them what op had said. They chose to me unkind and cruel.

I find all sorts fascinating, I don't have to leave the room to reflect on my thoughts though, personally. It's not an issue that you do, at all, but can you honestly not see why other people would laugh?

Seriously? You sound toxic. Let me guess, everyone’s always mean to you too?

I’ve just had a little internal chuckle at that mental picture… a mum and her young daughter, sitting side by side on a park bench in complete silence, gazing into the distance and ignoring the world around them while they think about dungeons.

Well, I must be a weirdo too, as I don’t see what so hilarious about a mum & daughter sitting on a bench having a quiet moment. It sounds chilled out and pleasant to me. So go ahead, point and laugh at the oddballs who occasionally like to quietly reflect.

Of course there is nothing wrong with sitting quietly and thinking/reflecting, @HeadNorth. But does it need announcing, as the OP did (even though it was just to her dd)?

I don’t condone the hilarity - unless everyone is laughing, that sort of thing tips over into bullying/unkindness, and clearly the OP was not laughing. But equally, she needs to understand that conversations will move from one topic to another and that, whilst she was enjoying the conversation about history, other people wanted to talk about something else. Letting the conversation move on, and joining in with the new topic, even if you aren’t particularly interested in it, when other people have joined in with your favourite topic, is good manners, in my opinion.

Or to check the phone for messages.
Of course they wouldn't. It's only because thinking about things in depth is not something they do, therefore it's "weird."

She didn't announce it. She merely answered DD's question honestly. Stop mischaracterizing her actions to try to give weight to what is nothing but an irrational knee jerk reaction.

Is it rude to get up to use the toilet? To check on dinner in the oven? To attend to a child? To check your phone messages? No?
Then we have established it is only "rude" if the object is to avoid an unpleasant subject and go have a think. Therefore, it's not rude.

I honestly think it’s lovely. I suppose we are all different.

Really? This sounds like paranoia…