Am I the only one???!!!!

[joko]

"Am I the only one who thinks...???!!!!

What do other people think of people who use this phrase when asking a question they are clearly outraged by?

Also, "does nobody else think...??!!!"

and "is no-one else bothered...???!!!" etc.

Do you think they really believe they are the only one?

Do you think it's just a turn of phrase?

Do you think they have asked a few mates who don't agree with them and are outraged?

Is it just a lazy way of expressing your feelings while asking a question?

For some reason it MILDLY irritates me, but I don't know why. I don't get angry or lose sleep over it, I just feel like being sarky and saying "yes, out of the whole world, you are the only one who thinks that!" Weird eh?

Am I the only one who ...?

[gary baldy]

I could launch in to a long drawn out analysis of the increasing disenfranchisement in modern western society and the mounting sense of isolation felt by many due the decline in organised religion coupled with the disillusionment that many now feel towards institutions and ideas that were once seen as sacred - but i wont!
Instead lets just say modern society can be very frustrating and challenging at times and some people sometimes do feel that "Am i the only one?"

[dotjhawkes]

I know that I tend to use this phrase in a particular scenario, as an easy going person i tend to accept alot and let things pass me by rather than letting them **** me off, but sometimes, I get to the point where it suddenly dawns on me that the situation is really annoying me, but for a second I question myself and think, 'am i getting upset over this for nothing?' and so i will sound out other people and use thiese phrases as an opener, because I am unsure if I am being silly and taking things to heart.

[joko]

as i said, i don't really care, i just noticed that people say this a lot, particularly on here.

I just thought i'd mention it to see if anyone else had noticed, and thought it a strange way to phrase a question.

perhaps i only noticed it because years ago, when i worked in my mums shop, most people would ask me if we had something stock with the phrase "You don't have a thingy in stock, do you?", or "I know you don't sell thingys...." and then look at me all expectant - and half the time we do sell them

which, after a while, began to grate - its like a backwards question! just say "do you have...!"

It just seems like a strange way of speaking.

are they subconsciously frightened to be wrong? because whenever we did say 'no' they would say "i know, i didn't think so"

as i say, no big deal, just wondered...

[dotjhawkes]

Oh I know what u mean,. the best one is when you are paying for something in a store and you ask the assistant if they want the odd pence and they'll invariably say, 'if you've got it', DOH, would you offer it if you didn't have it!

Oh and at work I am asked about 12 times a day, 'Do you have the other one to this?' (I sell shoes, mysteriously enough, in pairs!)

[chazza]

I hate it when people start their sentences "is it just me or"

There is no need for the above phrase, it adds nothing to the question and is meaningless as well! And 50 % of the questions on here start with it!