Spring Break
TMI: No more talking about personal issues in class
Samantha Salas
Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: Opinion
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At what point does the red light in someone's mind flash, "Stop talking."? Recently, I've come to the conclusion that some people either do not have a flashing light at all, or they choose to ignore it.
Now, I'm not talking about the people who can talk your ear off for days or the people who can have a one-on-one conversation with you over lunch or coffee. I am talking about the people who just give too much information.
TMPI: too much personal information. And more importantly, I'm talking about the outgoing people who give TMPI in the classroom setting.
Consider this scenario: You're in a philosophy class with maybe 25 students. The topic of discussion is "Plato's perfect city-state system" - definitely more interesting than it sounds.
The professor is lecturing, and out of the blue, a student decides to share a comment.
Fair enough. And to the excitement of the other students, it's a new voice or a new idea to help them understand.
Um, no. It's an angry story about this person's sex life.
How does your sex life relate to Plato, at any level?
It doesn't. And why even bring it up?
Why do you think anyone in a class wants to hear about your sex life? I promise you, they don't.
I understand that people need to vent, and maybe they just need to get things off their chests. That's fine. But in the classroom?
There is no reason whatsoever to put everyone else in that awkward situation. No one laughs, no one comments. No one even gives you the sympathy you think you deserve.
It's just awkward.
And what's more awkward than hearing about someone else's open promiscuity, road rage or ex-roommate grudge is that it is unrelated to the topic being discussed and paid for.
It could be just an impulse thought that a student accidentally shares, but if they're conscious enough, they will probably stop themselves after 10 seconds.
But not these TMPIs. I don't think they pay attention at all to the reddening, shocked faces around the room.
Now, I'm not talking about the people who can talk your ear off for days or the people who can have a one-on-one conversation with you over lunch or coffee. I am talking about the people who just give too much information.
TMPI: too much personal information. And more importantly, I'm talking about the outgoing people who give TMPI in the classroom setting.
Consider this scenario: You're in a philosophy class with maybe 25 students. The topic of discussion is "Plato's perfect city-state system" - definitely more interesting than it sounds.
The professor is lecturing, and out of the blue, a student decides to share a comment.
Fair enough. And to the excitement of the other students, it's a new voice or a new idea to help them understand.
Um, no. It's an angry story about this person's sex life.
How does your sex life relate to Plato, at any level?
It doesn't. And why even bring it up?
Why do you think anyone in a class wants to hear about your sex life? I promise you, they don't.
I understand that people need to vent, and maybe they just need to get things off their chests. That's fine. But in the classroom?
There is no reason whatsoever to put everyone else in that awkward situation. No one laughs, no one comments. No one even gives you the sympathy you think you deserve.
It's just awkward.
And what's more awkward than hearing about someone else's open promiscuity, road rage or ex-roommate grudge is that it is unrelated to the topic being discussed and paid for.
It could be just an impulse thought that a student accidentally shares, but if they're conscious enough, they will probably stop themselves after 10 seconds.
But not these TMPIs. I don't think they pay attention at all to the reddening, shocked faces around the room.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Blake Southwood
posted 10/02/07 @ 5:14 PM PST
The real issue is that rampant immaturity is enveloping the earth and IQs are plunging and aristocracy is fading away. Outbursts but the immature will predominate as long as they refuse to grow up and act like mature adults. (Continued…)
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