Every group chat seems to die the moment I send 1-2 texts there. Every single one. Old, new, offline friends, online friends, everywhere. What’s going on? Are my jokes bad? Have you ever experienced this? If yes, what was the issue you found out?

  • Cyrus Draegur@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    i used to struggle with this too, op.

    the only reason i don’t struggle with it anymore is because i ran out of sufficient energy to struggle.

    however, that was not what resolved it–not directly.

    no longer agonizing over my conversations had other effects.

    i decided that if all i can be is background noise, then i shall be background noise. and that … loosened my hesitation. i physically lost the ability to attach any kind of ulterior motive or emotional baggage to what i wanted to say, and so, my messaging became more open and honest as a result, in a way i never had the choice to implement at will. it took breaking down to no longer proverbially have a wall there.

    and then, at another point after this had metaphorically cleaned my slate, i decided to start over by embodying what i felt was missing. i would be the warmth that no one was showing. i would greet, and encourage, and ask nonbinary question–but i don’t think this would have worked if i had not first shattered my own guard and begun engaging my social interactions with totally exposed vulnerability.