Have you ever noticed that when you’re standing in line, any line, if there’s someone in front of you and you’re talking to a friend or you’re on the phone,

they turn around and roll their eyes at you? Not passive aggressively either. Like, they want you to notice that they turned their body in your direction, looked you dead

in the eyes and rolled their back into their heads. Usually that’s code for “You are SO LOUD that you are annoying me.” If you didn’t notice this before now,

trust us…you will.

If your friends are giving you this energy, that’s basically saying “Now, wait a minute!” What loud people don’t (usually) realize is people have to not only brace themselves for

their words, but their tone. If you’re already direct, yelling what you have to say can teeter on the offensive. While we’re on the neck movements, if while you’re talking,

your friends are moving their neck---not their bodies but their necks---away from your face, that’s another signal. They can’t hear everything you’re saying so they need to get some space.

Loudness tends to have that effect.

The movies. A restaurant. The mall. It doesn’t matter. Wherever you are with someone else, they are telling you to “shhh” at least five times. Loud people can be a

lot of fun to be around because they are so energetic. They can also be embarrassing because everything they’re saying is like they’re on a football field. If you’re hearing

“shhh”…shhh.

Not that you’re gonna take that very well because usually it gives you flashbacks to when you were a kid. You’re grown now and ain’t no way you’re gonna have

people “shhh-ing” you like you’re a four-year-old. Yeah, think about that. (We’ll leave that right there.)

If you’ve got friends and you’re a loud person, clearly you have other qualities that makes folks want to have a relationship with you. But pay attention to if your

friends would rather speak to you in person than on the phone. This is a more subtle sign that they might think you are too loud. Have you ever been

out, heard someone on the phone talking about the bad sex they had last night or the divorce they want to file and you were like “Do they realize I

can hear everything they are saying?!” When you’re the loud one, chances are, someone is thinking the same thing about you. Your friends don’t want their business out in the

street so, they don’t tell you any during a phone call.

“We’re inside.” You’re not stupid. If you’re indoors, you already know that. If someone is saying that to you though, it’s code for “Use your inside voice, please.” If this

isn’t a clear sign that you’re “the loud friend”, girlfriend, what is?