JosephGibbs Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 When meeting someone for the first time, or even catching up with a relative or friend, it seems that it is a given either to ask or be asked what you do for a living or how your job is going. I am trying to get away from this personally because there are 8 other hours of the day ,give or take, that help define someone. I want to know someone for more than what they do and viceversa; am I making sense? Some people enjoy their jobs, some do not. Lately, I have had more time to read for leisure, so I have been asking people if they have read any good books lately just for a change of pace and seeing where that goes. I guess if you have some common interests with someone, like the REDSKINS (oh yeah) that can help the conversation. Here's my question: other than job/work, what else can or do you bring up in conversation when catching up with someone or meeting someone for the first time? HTTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Ask them "How's the sex life?" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephGibbs Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 Hmm, the shock and awe approach, interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Ask about their religious and political views Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headexplode Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I think it's always good to mention whatever rashes I may have at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephGibbs Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 Ask about their religious and political views ok, but if this gets me in trouble, I'm blaming you. Might not be a bad suggestion though, if you had some previous interaction with the person. It may be a bit intrusive for a first meeting, maybe not, what do you all think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paige3girl Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 ok, but if this gets me in trouble, I'm blaming you.Might not be a bad suggestion though, if you had some previous interaction with the person. It may be a bit intrusive for a first meeting, maybe not, what do you all think. It is a bad suggestion because yes it is intrusive!! I don't talk politics or religion with anyone except my closest friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I always thought that was more a regional phenomenon. In the DC area, yeah, it's full of superficial mf'ers and 99% of the time one of the first questions you will hear is "what do you do for a living". You're judged right off the bat on what you do and how much you're perceived to make. That's not nearly the case down south, though, or in many other places of the country. That's a largely NE situation, as far as I know. Personally, I hate that and try to learn other things about people first, such as what interests them and if she's single/does she like it in the b.......nevermind. :paranoid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I don't talk politics or religion with anyone except my closest friends.It's funny you say that. Those are the exact people I avoid talking religion or politics with :laugh: Why drive them away? People don't like to hear how wrong they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 It funny, I never ask that question. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really usually just not that interested - hell I don't know what some of my best friends do and I never ask them how work is going. I've hung out with DC53 a few times and have no idea what he does - though I assume it has something to do with cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paige3girl Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I always thought that was more a regional phenomenon. In the DC area, yeah, it's full of superficial mf'ers and 99% of the time one of the first questions you will hear is "what do you do for a living". You're judged right off the bat on what you do and how much you're perceived to make. That's not nearly the case down south, though, or in many other places of the country. That's a largely NE situation, as far as I know. Personally, I hate that and try to learn other things about people first, such as what interests them and if she's single/does she like it in the b.......nevermind.:paranoid: In Baltimore people always ask where you go to school -- and they don't mean college, they mean high school. It's odd. They actually did a whole feature on it in Baltimore Magazine and how the "Baltimore Power Schools" define people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headexplode Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 It funny, I never ask that question. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really usually just not that interested - hell I don't know what some of my best friends do and I never ask them how work is going.I've hung out with DC53 a few times and have no idea what he does - though I assume it has something to do with cars. I'm the same way. My job is so uninteresting I don't ever want to talk about it, and I assume everyone else is the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headexplode Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 In Baltimore people always ask where you go to school -- and they don't mean college, they mean high school. It's odd. They actually did a whole feature on it in Baltimore Magazine and how the "Baltimore Power Schools" define people. Baltimore--"The City that Reads---and will give you STDs." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 In Baltimore people always ask where you go to school -- and they don't mean college, they mean high school. It's odd. They actually did a whole feature on it in Baltimore Magazine and how the "Baltimore Power Schools" define people. Nah, it's not odd, it's just Baltimore. If you even went to High School, let alone remember which one you went to, you're doing damn good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 It funny, I never ask that question. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really usually just not that interested - hell I don't know what some of my best friends do and I never ask them how work is going.I've hung out with DC53 a few times and have no idea what he does - though I assume it has something to do with cars. :laugh: Not since 2002. I have no idea what you do either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 You can usually start by saying something something about how they look today (if you now them). If you don't, you can still start with a compliment about something they are wearing (again sport stuff if they're wearing them). There was a guy in Adams Morgan who used to beg, but you'd be a min or two into a conversation before you knew it because he always started the conversation off with a compliment: "love those shoes. where did you get them..." We used to call him compliment man (best begger I've seen as I always wanted to give him a buck). I'm one of those talk to people in long lines at stores guys. I've usually found that people react well to just about anything that shows you're paying attention to them. "Wow, are you making anything interesting with that stuff? It looks like the ingediants for a dish my mom makes..." or go back to the tried and true "Wow this weather is ... Don't you love/hate it?" Seriously, pick questions that show an interest in them or mundane things. Honestly, the interest in them usually works best even if it's just an interet in the shallow side of them. You'll get the rest once the conversation starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tastes Like Chicken Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 You can usually start by saying something something about how they look today (if you now them).If you don't, you can still start with a compliment about something they are wearing (again sport stuff if they're wearing them). There was a guy in Adams Morgan who used to beg, but you'd be a min or two into a conversation before you knew it because he always started the conversation off with a compliment: "love those shoes. where did you get them..." We used to call him compliment man (best begger I've seen as I always wanted to give him a buck). I'm one of those talk to people in long lines at stores guys. I've usually found that people react well to just about anything that shows you're paying attention to them. "Wow, are you making anything interesting with that stuff? It looks like the ingediants for a dish my mom makes..." or go back to the tried and true "Wow this weather is ... Don't you love/hate it?" Seriously, pick questions that show an interest in them or mundane things. Honestly, the interest in them usually works best even if it's just an interet in the shallow side of them. You'll get the rest once the conversation starts. This is dead-on. People naturally love to talk about themselves. Want to strike up a convo with that hottie? This is the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reic Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 I try to get noods from them, but maybe that is just the alcohol talking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephGibbs Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 I always thought that was more a regional phenomenon. In the DC area, yeah, it's full of superficial mf'ers and 99% of the time one of the first questions you will hear is "what do you do for a living". You're judged right off the bat on what you do and how much you're perceived to make. That's not nearly the case down south, though, or in many other places of the country. That's a largely NE situation, as far as I know. Personally, I hate that and try to learn other things about people first, such as what interests them and if she's single/does she like it in the b.......nevermind. :paranoid: Interesting, I did not know that. I was only up to the NE area once (Boston) and the people were so rude and self absorbed. It was their world, you were just a part of it. Not that I'm stereotyping the entire are of NE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephGibbs Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 You can usually start by saying something something about how they look today (if you now them).If you don't, you can still start with a compliment about something they are wearing (again sport stuff if they're wearing them). There was a guy in Adams Morgan who used to beg, but you'd be a min or two into a conversation before you knew it because he always started the conversation off with a compliment: "love those shoes. where did you get them..." We used to call him compliment man (best begger I've seen as I always wanted to give him a buck). I'm one of those talk to people in long lines at stores guys. I've usually found that people react well to just about anything that shows you're paying attention to them. "Wow, are you making anything interesting with that stuff? It looks like the ingediants for a dish my mom makes..." or go back to the tried and true "Wow this weather is ... Don't you love/hate it?" Seriously, pick questions that show an interest in them or mundane things. Honestly, the interest in them usually works best even if it's just an interet in the shallow side of them. You'll get the rest once the conversation starts. Seems pretty sound...weather can be very interesting...that is my save all though, I don't like to pull that out to early Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlitzFiftySix Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 I always ask, "Hows life treating you" and leave it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enter Apotheosis Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Personally, I hate that and try to learn other things about people first, such as what interests them and if she's single/does she like it in the b.......nevermind.:paranoid: Thats actually my standard-issue icebreaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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