I Don’t Like Being Nosey – And I Can’t Stand People Who Are

I don’t know when it became normal for people to feel entitled to other people’s lives, but I can tell you I want no part of it. There’s a certain type of person who thrives on being in other people’s business. Always listening, always watching, always piecing things together that don’t concern them. I’m the complete opposite. I don’t like being nosey. I don’t like nosey people. And I go out of my way to make sure I’m not one of them.

If you’re talking and it doesn’t involve me, I don’t want to hear it. I will literally hum to myself to block it out. Not because I’m trying to be rude, but because it’s not my place to know. I don’t lean in. I don’t eavesdrop. I don’t want to know who said what, who did what, or what’s going on behind closed doors. I mind my business to a fault. If a conversation is happening within earshot, and it doesn’t have my name in it, I act like it doesn’t even exist. That’s how far removed I am from needing to know what’s going on around me.

It’s not even about being polite—it’s about mental peace. I don’t want my brain cluttered with details that serve no purpose. I’ve trained myself to forget things that don’t matter. If I overhear something by accident, I let it pass through like background noise. I don’t dwell on it. I don’t repeat it. I don’t store it. I couldn’t tell you what someone wore yesterday or what kind of car they drive even if I pass them every day. My memory automatically filters out what doesn’t bring value, because it’s not my business to keep.

And I know some people live for that stuff. They treat other people’s lives like entertainment. They’re always watching, listening, analyzing, speculating—like it’s their job. But it’s not curiosity, it’s intrusion. It’s a habit of putting your focus in the wrong place. I don’t want to know who’s dating who, who got into it at work, or what somebody’s cousin did last weekend. That kind of information adds nothing to my life. It doesn’t build me. It doesn’t challenge me. It just wastes space.

I’ve made it a practice to keep my head down. Not out of fear, but out of principle. I don’t stare at people. I don’t double back to see what’s going on. I don’t look for drama. If it’s not offered to me directly, I don’t need it. That includes social media too. I’m not going down rabbit holes, reading comments on people’s personal business, or watching stories to keep up with people I don’t actually know. Curiosity might be natural, but control is intentional. And I choose to keep my attention on things that actually affect me.

Some people might think that means I’m unaware or checked out. But I’m not. I’m just not consumed by things that don’t involve me. I don’t want to make assumptions. I don’t want to judge anyone. And I definitely don’t want to feed that energy of always needing to be in the loop. There’s a peace that comes with staying out of it. And I guard that peace heavily.

So no—I can’t tell you what happened with so-and-so. I didn’t hear the argument. I didn’t notice the side-eye. I don’t know what outfit they had on or how they acted different. And honestly, I don’t care to know. The more you get used to minding your own, the less interested you become in everybody else’s mess. And trust me, that kind of freedom is rare.