You've told me that already

[mfan]

Often, one of my friends will tell me a story that they once already told me (although they either forgot or they are so excited by that they tell me again).

 

When they do this, I never stop them. After all, they are enjoying so much telling me about it, and I like hearing them talk about it even though I've heard it before.

 

The problem is, when I start telling someone something that I've once told them, they always stop me abruptly and say "Yes, you already told me about that".

 

What do you think about this? I find it limiting and worrying that I must never repeat myself when all my friends can and do repeat themselves. I'd have a lot more to talk about if I could say the same thing more than once like they do.

 

How would you handle this unbalanced situation? Thanks.

[Samedy]

You can be the bigger person an let it sly, just keep telling your story and ignore your friend.

 

I have a few friends who will constantly retell a story. I always find it interesting because as they retell the story they tend to make certain parts bigger; it's interstesting to see a story transform right infront of your eyes

[rocio]

I think they are trying to be polite by letting you know that you're repeating yourself. It's kind of like if you have a booger in your nose - it feels a bit uncomfortable when we know something the other person doesn't.

[browneyedgirl36]

I'm glad you posted this. This has happened to me, too. I have a couple of friends who will stop me in the middle of a story and say "You told me this already." I NEVER stop people even if they have told me before, particularly if they are very excited about what they're talking about or it's a difficult situation (i.e. they're getting a divorce, etc.) Sometimes, we all forget to whom we've told things, and I really don't see, in most cases, why a person can't just listen to the story again. Unless you're in a huge hurry, what would it hurt to hear the same story twice?

 

My mom has told me some stories countless times. Occasionally, she'll ask me, "Have I told you this before?" and I'll tell her if she has, but I never interrupt her to say, "Uh, Mom, you already told me this."

 

Certainly, as another poster said, I'd want someone to tell me if there was something hanging out of my nose, or in my teeth, but I don't think that telling the same story twice is really in the same category.

 

I'm really sensitive to this topic because I am sensitive to being interrupted when I'm talking about something that is really important to me or that I'm really enthusiastic about. To each his/her own, I guess.

[browneyedgirl36]

I think they are trying to be polite by letting you know that you're repeating yourself. It's kind of like if you have a booger in your nose - it feels a bit uncomfortable when we know something the other person doesn't.

 

I think that this is sometimes the case, but sometimes people do it in a very abrupt or annoyed way, and that bothers me.

[Dating Coach]

Maybe you are bad at telling stories. I am. I am terrible at telling stories and when I do I bore the tar out of people. So I can never tell the same story twice. A friend of mine, he tells me the same story like every week. He's extremely smart and like extremely smart people he's really dumb. He forgets he told me the story 8 times in 1 month and will tell me again. But he's very good at telling stories so it's not torture to listen to it again.