Gossip

[EquALLity]

Today as math class was ending, something interesting happened.

The period before, we did a Socratic Seminar about Brave New World (I made a topic about the book which you should check out as well ). Two girls who were also in the seminar starting talking during math class.

"I was about to say something but than (me) said exactly what I was about to say."
So I think this is referring to in the beginning when there was a long 30 second pause after the teacher asked the guiding question and one of us was supposed to start talking and respond to it. So eventually, I was like, "Well ..." (I started talking).
And I don't really see anything off about that comment, because it wasn't really about me, it was about that she didn't get to say something. But then this other girl was like, "Yeah, she does that."

Like I'm sorry that I'm quicker than you???
What is the logic there? I'm intentionally saying things that I think you'll say...? I guess I read minds?
I really didn't even know what to make of that, it seemed rude, but it'd be an overreaction to go over there and be like "wtf". And I'm not sure if it was actually meant to be rude, it might've just come out wrong. I mean, if she was right behind me, I would've been like, "Excuse me?" But she was all the way on the other side of the room.
It was just weird, because I've never overheard someone talking/(gossiping?) about me before, so it was just like... Ok?

What do you guys think? What do you do in these types of situations?

[brimstoneSalad]

Wait for her outside of class and relieve her of a few teeth?

Stupid kids will always be rude to and jealous of those who try in class, are interested in the material, and do well; there is a persistent and collective effort to undermine the value of academic achievement in order to make the stupid kids (the majority) feel better about themselves and their laziness, otherwise they might have to apply themselves.

Do whatever makes you feel better, whether that be confronting them or ignoring them, or just starting rumors about how they're clinically retarded so people should be nice to them and how you don't think it's fair that they have to be in the same class as others because it's too hard for them.

[Cirion Spellbinder]

How do you know she wasn't being hyperbolic or sarcastic? That's what I'd assume, and maybe even butt in and make a self deprecating joke.

Wait for her outside of class and relieve her of a few teeth?

or just starting rumors about how they're clinically retarded so people should be nice to them and how you don't think it's fair that they have to be in the same class as others because it's too hard for them

Do you really recommend these?

there is a persistent and collective effort to undermine the value of academic achievement in order to make the stupid kids (the majority) feel better about themselves and their laziness, otherwise they might have to apply themselves.

How do you know that?

[brimstoneSalad]

Do you really recommend these?

Not the teeth removal, unless they lay hands on her first. That was a joke.

I don't think there's really anything to be done beyond shaming them/exacting revenge here. These kids probably aren't going to respond positively to a talking to, since they already dislike her. Unless she wants to apologize to them and say she was wrong for speaking before them.
She wasn't wrong, though, so I don't think apologizing would be appropriate. These kids are just stupid.

How do you know that?

There are a few aspects of it. One is putting less work into the pecking order (the idea that prioritizing academics means you can't prioritize social ladder climbing): https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/quiet-the-power-introverts/201104/why-nerds-are-unpopular
But there's also a substantial trend of anti-intellectualism, or smart shaming. Most people are stupid, and they feel better when they shame people for doing well, particularly in school where grades are assigned that implicitly evaluate intelligence; when you get low grades, your psychology pretty much forces you to undervalue academic achievement (or act like you do). One of many problems with numerical grades.

[EquALLity]

To clarify: Only one of them is a bitch. Just saying I said something you were going to say doesn't mean anything against me. I think she was just worried about her grade in the seminar, because I remember before she asked me how she did. She just seemed to be saying "shit I didn't get to say something". I mean, during the seminar, this other guy (who I'm sort of friends with but he can be an asshole, it's complicated) and I started talking at the same time and I was like "go ahead I'll go after", and he said what I was going to say about the society in the book actually being good. And then when I started I said that he said exactly what he was going to say, but it wasn't in a bad way. It was just like "damnit"; obviously I didn't have anything against him and I think she was saying the same type of thing. She's also generally a nice and smart person, so I really don't think she was being a bitch.

The OTHER girl... She's just a snobby bitch.
We worked in assigned group projects creating a PowerPoint of our own Utopias, and she was in my group. First of all, she doesn't understand the concept of a fricking interactive PowerPoint, and doesn't understand that you can't put photos over text, but that's not relevant here...
I tried to be nice to her in our group project but she's unbearable. I remember before I thought she was a bitch, I ran into another person in my group in the bathroom and she was like "I'm so sick of _____, she doesn't understand that it's not just her project."
And at lunch today, my friend told me that awhile ago she was sitting near her because her table was moved or something and she said something like "I don't like them but I'll pretend to."
Then GTFO! What the hell.

So she's just not a nice person in general.
I remember, before I knew her, I thought she was a nice person (ok, I gave her the benefit of the doubt), and her sister was complaining about her (she was giving me and some other people a ride and she started complaining about her sister). It kind of sucks for her sister who has to give her rides every morning, because this girl fills up a coffee cup in the morning without a rim and takes it into the car and it spills everywhere. She's actually like the polar opposite of her sister; her sister is really smart and nice. It's kind of amazing that they're related.

Ok, I think I just went off on a bit of a tangent there.
Anyway, I'm not going to start a rumor about her, that just seems mean unnecessarily. I mean if she starts talking to me ever then I'll bring it up, but I'm not going to go out of my way too. It's not like it'd be productive, so there's no point in that, since she's just a bitch. But at the same time if she starts talking to me normally I'm not going to act like it didn't happen.

[EquALLity]

Oh, also:
At the end of the seminar, her and I started talking at the same time, and I offered to let her go, but then she offered to let me go, and I started talking. So wtf? You're going to reject my offer to let you speak, invite me to, and then complain that I said something you were going to say? Ummmmmm ok.