Sorry Ill edit it into the post:
it just seems to skip over it didn't recognize any input of "!" But I think i also just figured it out:

    boolean finalCheck = true;
        while (finalCheck) {
            userInput = JOptionPane
                    .showInputDialog("What would you like to discuss? " + topic1 + ", " + topic2 + " or " + topic3);

            boolean replyCheck = true;
            while (replyCheck) {
                if (userInput.contains(topic1)) {
                    userTopicSelection = topic1;
                } else if (userInput.contains(topic2)) {
                    userTopicSelection = topic2;
                } else if (userInput.contains(topic3)) {
                    userTopicSelection = topic3;
                }else {
                    userTopicSelection = userInput;
                }

                    if (userTopicSelection == topic1 || userTopicSelection == topic2 || userTopicSelection == topic3) {
                        userInput = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("tell more " + userTopicSelection);

                    }else if(userTopicSelection.contains("!")) {
                        userInput = JOptionPane.showInputDialog("You seem a little excited! \nThat's interesting. \nBut I'd rather talk about " + topic1 + ", " + topic2 + " or " + topic3);
                    } else {
                        JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Error: Invalid topic entered, Press OK to try again.");
                        replyCheck = false;

                    }

                }
            if(userTopicSelection == "exit") {
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Press OK to exit");
                finalCheck = false;

                }
            }

now when i type "cool!" it actually replies "You seem a little excited! \nThat's interesting. \nBut I'd rather talk about " + topic1 + ", " + topic2 + " or " + topic3"

Now i just need to figure out how to exit this thing and its done, any ideas?