How do you react when someone isn't interested in the thing you're interested in?

I've noticed a few bad interactions happen this way, one was between friends, the other between a boyfriend and girlfriend, but they both went the same way:

One person really cares about something, an issue, a current event, something in their life, they're passionate about it, they like to talk about it. And the other person they're talking to has kind of a tepid response. They don't know anything about the issue, they don't really care, their reaction is "meh". Then the other person gets angry and heated and outraged that the other person doesn't care or isn't interested.

How do YOU react in this situation? What would be a better way to handle someone's lukewarm response to something you're passionate about?

I've seen this happen twice now, and I can't believe it's such a common cause of friction in friendships and relationships.

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Ducky · 31-35, F

If it’s someone telling me something that I’m not particularly interested in, I’ll try to be nice about and listen and might even inquire about it, just so it isn’t awkward. But more often than not, it’s me sharing something I’m interested in that no one else cares about. It’s always awkward and embarrassing for me, but at the same time, I’m used to that happening so that I don’t even bother anymore. Maybe I’m just not that interesting in general and I’m better off keeping to myself. I can at least say that I try to be nice about it with others when they get rambling and avoid making the exchange uncomfortable. That’s often more than what the other person does for me when I’m the other end of it.

WestonTexan · 18-21, M

@Ducky It's similar for me. I can think of times when a friend of mine wanted to ramble and vent about something that I just didn't care about. But I showed that I was listening and I responded occasionally. What happened in the two cases I observed is that the other person didn't really do that; they didn't show that they were listening, they straight up said they didn't care and had a "whatever" kind of response. And that's what set the other person off.