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Notes -
Would you have felt bamboozled if instead of a 21 year old girl, you were stuck with a 21 year old guy with whom you shared no discernable interest?
I don't think isolated interactions, barring ones that are extraordinary which I don't think this counts, are informative of what's going on with an entire generation or observation of how some people are. If you notice this same thing recurring, then it would be time for introspection and/or analysis of society.
And Occam's Razor would suggest it was very simple, that between talking to you and texting on your phone, she preferred the latter. I don't think that says much about other of you. Maybe odd of her if you're actually Harry Styles, but otherwise perfectly normal and unremarkable.
Lastly, I'd note that she probably wouldn't think it's very high status of you to be your mother's chauffeur. I think it's great that you're willing to help her, but she could very reasonably conclude that if your life is awesome, you'd be busy with your own priorities. And even if you were doing a favor for your mom by driving her, you might be busy with your own life working/socializing remotely via your phone, instead of "Since I had to kill time, I just wanted to talk to her and pass time."
With a guy, I would have much more readily chalked it up to poor/ a lack of social skills and moved on.
With a girl there is the element of poor social skills or {I am very unattractive}. Which is the bamboozling (hard to accept) part.
Yeah this is definitely not "high status" behaviour. But its one of those things that need to be done.
As for your theory on her assuming I am even lower status because not only am I wasting my time being "a helper", I am not even making use of down time while doing that. I wouldn't discount that at all, after all signalling is king.
Let's just say, if that were the case, then fuck me for managing my "awesome life" by working overtime, completing things in advance, barely having much free time of my own.
But nevertheless, I probably shouldn't lose sleep over it. No one said signalling should be rational.
This is the most ego preserving possibility, but the whole reason I posted was so that I could know if it could have not been this.
And clearly there are many potential cynical (!= not true) takes.
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Since plenty of people find themselves in this situation with even their own friends who are choosing to hang out with them, I'd go with this. No big explanation necessary.
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