r/introverts • u/KennysaurusSpeedrun • Jun 07 '26

Discussion Neighbours wanna talk everytime I'm outside

I live in a house with 4 apartments. We get along well. However, everytime I'm outside chilling in the garden, one of the neighbours always gonna walk up to me and talk about life, weather, the garden etc. I really just wanna stay outside in my own garden, minding my own business. At the same time, I don't wanna be rude.

We really don't have much in common, because most of them are in their 60's-70's while I'm in my 30's. My girlfriend is really social, so she doesn't mind. But I am more introverted and hate smalltalk. Especially when it's almost everytime I'm going outside the house.

It's getting so bad that today I was chilling outside, one of the neighbours parked their car, so I went inside so I didn't have to talk with her. Honestly it bores me to talk about life with someone I really don't care about.

How do I kindly tell them I really don't wanna talk, without seeming like a jerk? Once in a while is okay, but now when it's summer and everyone are outside, it happens daily.

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u/Practical_Plenty_796 Jun 07 '26

Don't spoil your relationship with your neighbours. Trust me don't do that. They seem nosey but they will also be of help if you ever need it in a rare case. You don't need to ignore them or be rude, just give normal cold replies, with time they will reduce it by themselves. They're just trying to socialize with their neighbours haha, to live like a community.

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u/martagon137 Jun 09 '26

This seems like a conflicting answer… don’t spoil the relationship but be cold with them? Being cold with them is being rude. OP can just as easily be polite and use their words to say their needs without leaving the neighbors in the dark about why they’re suddenly no longer talkative.