Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for October 12, 2023

Rat got his point across.

It’s a “timeless” issue, just like how “old” that joke was!!!! Dan aka…

enough about you let’s talk aboutme…

Today’s background music: “Nobody But Me” by the Human Beinz.

I’ve told you how I feel about myself, how do you feel about how great I am

You.ve got lots more words out there, Rat. Time to listen to Goat.

Because they are mostly on their phone!

Did you say something?

And who would know more about not listening than Rat?

Songs in the Key of Me. Some people never learn that “conversation” does not mean “waiting for you to shut up so I can talk some more.”

Listen, listen spelled backwards is NETSIL.

Bravo!

Maybe Rat has selective hearing

Rat is Elon Musk in disguise?

It’s true though; do people really listen to one another with open minds, or do they just want others to hear what they have to say? I think we know the answer if we look at how divided we seem to have become.

I have the same problem with the people in my world.

Two monologues don’t make a dialogue.

You are a bit of a rat, aren’t you Rat.

Rat just loves to contradict himself, doesn’t he??

My wife says there are two things wrong with me. One is that I don’t listen, I forget what the other one is.

But that’s just the thing: We all have to stop and listen to the “you” and not be thinking about the clever thing we’re going to say when the “you” is done talking.

I can relate to this…

What a rat! :)

Classic rat! Never gets old!

Many people look like they’re listening, but are actually thinking about their response

People listening to Rat, or listening to Rat-like people, got us here.

The opposite of talking is not listening. It is waiting for your turn to talk.

especially all the robo-dialed “vote for me” telephone calls “listen to how great i am”. it’s poignant as i’ve already absentee voted. i used to have the policy of voting for whoever called us the least. until the US communist party disbanded. now they’re back, i’m actually voting for candidates i feel are qualified, disregarding party. you’d be amazed at the mouth-foamers that are offended that i’d do that. especially on this web-site. You Go, rat!

“Whut we have heah is a failyuh to communicate.”

I stopped listening ever since I went deaf

Once again, Yrs Trly The❤️Count and ❤️Rat are in tune, harmonious and completely simpatico. Rat On!

What I said, what you heard, what you think I said and what I meant are all completely different.

Why’d you have to cut Goat off like that, Rat? I wanted to hear Goat give the reason why people don’t listen to each other. So I guess that means that you’re part of the problem.

On the next episode of Narcissism Today we will discuss my pronouns…

Just be yourself. No…wait…on second thought…

Let’s give Rat the benefit of the doubt; as Mr. Rogers said, “I love you just the way you are”.

Remember Rat, conversations are a two-way street.

Why dialogue when you can monologue?

A herd of rats, what a dystopian nightmare.

They are both correct, sad to say, or at least think they are……

“All lies and jest; still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” —P. Simon

this explains a lot about Tik Tok.

I think a more accurate description of the problem is, they don’t listen to people with whom they are nevertheless trying to engage. There certainly are people you shouldn’t bother listening to, but they’re also the people you should be avoiding altogether.

Rat and my sister would have a hard time conversing…I literally can hardly ever finish a sentence without getting cut off.

Pastis, once again you hit the nail on the head (are you listening?).

Rats like Rat need a captive audience!