TMI

Tired of hearing about your cubicle mate's annoying rash "down there"? Join the club.

This essay talks about how we've lost an ability to limit what we discuss in public conversation. An excerpt:

Today we all live with the expectation that we must happily spill our guts for whoever cares to slosh through them. Once considered a virtue, discretion is now viewed as either a character flaw or a sign that you're hiding one.

My colleague Allison recently blogged about strangers who spontaneously tell you their entire life stories. That's annoying, but I've encountered just as many TMI moments in conversations with close friends.

No matter how well you know somebody, there are some things you should keep to yourself. The reason? Two words: Mental images.

Let's just say we don't need to know exactly which medical procedure you had last week. Or precisely how happy your boyfriend was to see you last night.

Thoughts?

(via Jezebel)