LogFAQs > #976246259

cjsdowg posted...

I had to attend a dinner event for work, and I looked for a secluded table where I could wear headphones. I didnt feel comfortable eating in front of people with the Covid pandemic going on. Besides, I have trouble with crowds. This might sound odd, but its like I cant filter out other peoples conversations, so all I hear is a loud noise of voices, and it is like mumbling all at once (Does anyone else feel that way?) Anyway, I found a spot and put on my headphones. But now I think that was a bad idea.

It sends a very clear signal that you have no desire to engage in conversation with others, so in that way yes it is anti-social. It sucks that this was a mandatory dinner event, because in a situation like this it's better to gracefully decline an invitation than to go to it and be so stand-offish.

There's nothing wrong with not wanting to be amongst crowds, and I hope your job had a good reason for making this mandatory beyond the typical ra ra ra let's all mingle and network event for the sake of corporate culture.

As for the issue you describe with not being able to distinguish a conversation in a crowd, that is consistent with auditory processing disorder, which can be diagnosed with special tests, though even with a diagnosis "treatment" is more of a learning to deal with it situation. With a diagnosis though, you may be eligible for disability accommodations at your workplace depending on your national laws.