Published on 12, July, 2020
People ask me questions relating to my uni course, life at home, where my parents are from, do I own my house and have discussions regarding politics and health issues in the staff canteen. They often will ask a question in public regarding something I would consider my business and confidential. My problem is, I don’t know how to deflect them! I know that they’re asking out of nosiness and to fuel their gossips. I now avoid tea breaks and lunches just to avoid sitting with my team. I am given the third degree as to why I’m not taking lunch or tea with them, whereas other people on my team do not get asked such questions when they want to have lunch elsewhere or skip it entirely. Please tell me what works to make all of this stop?
I guess we on the spectrum have a tendancy to take things (including questions) literally, but most chit chat is just chit chat and it's just different people trying to get by for half an hour.
My only good trick is to try and escape being stuck in an awkward 1:1, so if we are in a group I will ask something like "so who is doing something interesting this weekend?" to the group - and hope that the talkative ones or those with something interesting to say will do their thing.