Poll of the Day > ITT: What I'm calling the "any questions?" phenomenon.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Okay so like we've all been to a presentation with a speaker, whether it's a class in a giant auditorium, a speaker at work, or anything else.

And after that hour or two, or however long, you're done. Regardless of if the topic is of interest to you or not. At which point, you just want to get the fuck out and go pee and go to sleep.

But that moment when the speaker says, "any questions?" is typically the key to freedom. But the phenomenon begins after the awkward silence that always follows the "any questions?"

It's almost always like

"Any questions?"
*silence*
"Last chance guys, anything?"

Here's where the phenomenon begins:

*asshole asks random question just to try and act like he's paying attention*
*speaker responds with way too much information*
*now EVERYONE HAS TO ASK MORE AND MORE QUESTIONS AND I JUST WANT TO FUCKING GO HOME*

The phenomenon is the chain reaction of questions. Like okay ten people just asked questions, why was there that dumb awkward silence at the beginning?

JUST LET ME GO PEE
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Grow some balls and just walk out

Damn, that sounded/looks mean. I didn't mean it to be mean

What the hell are you doing where you can't run out for a piss.
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green dragon posted...

Grow some balls and just walk out

I mean, my boss and my bosses boss were in there, so I wasn't exactly trying to get noticed as the guy who leaves early.

Blighboy posted...

What the hell are you doing where you can't run out for a piss.

It's not that I couldn't have, but the presentation was basically over. My concern was leaving, then coming back while everyone is flooding out the doors. Essentially going against traffic. Every time it sounded like there were no more questions, then the presenter's eyes again looked up and he gestured to someone in the back who couldn't keep their damn question for six seconds, then walk up and ask the guy afterwards.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

Like okay ten people just asked questions, why was there that dumb awkward silence at the beginning?

The idea is that we're all being quiet so that, if someone has something important to say in response to the question, they won't be shouted down. Once they've had that opportunity, then people with less important things to say feel confident about jumping in.
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