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Because it's not what you would do? It's hardly bleak, just different, and I find it puzzling that some people obviously feel their way is the only acceptable and right way to look at it. It's not superior you know.
I find my enjoyment in other ways, and that's perfectly acceptable.
I don't mind when a stranger engages in a conversation. If I have the time, I'll chit chat with them. If I don't, I'll just make my apologies and get back to my business. That's just people skills, guys. If you can't gracefully extricate yourself from conversations, that means you need to learn these basic things.
What's more, if you just blow off strangers who are just talking to pass the time of day, you often miss out on a lot.
In fact, some of my best conversations have been with complete stranger. One day, I was flying cross country to LA for a conference. My seatmate was an eightyish woman from Mississippi. I had the window, she had the middle seat. I could tell she was nervous, so I talked to her as we were about to take off.
As it turns out, it was her first airplane flight ever. She was flying to see her granddaughter. When I learned that, I asked if she wanted to change seats so she could look out the window.
But we got to talking. Turns out, her father had been a general in the Army when it occupied Japan, so she came in right after the surrender and told all kinds of amazing stories. She came home, got married, and started a farm in Mississippi. And during the Civil Rights Era, she smuggled activists past roadblocks in the trunk of her car.
So my four hour flight absolutely flew by, no pun intended.
I guess the point of that story is that everybody is interesting if you have enough wherewithal to simply listen to them. It doesn't cost you a thing and you might actually get something out of the experience. And, truthfully, experience is what makes us human.
Some of you, based on your responses on this thread, must be complete sociopaths.
I can agree with some points..I have been the lucky recipient of such conversations and conversely, been caught where the person just talks without end. I do my best to be civil and move on.
Because it's not what you would do? It's hardly bleak, just different, and I find it puzzling that some people obviously feel their way is the only acceptable and right way to look at it. It's not superior you know.
I find my enjoyment in other ways, and that's perfectly acceptable.
Oh, forgive me. I forgot the forum changed so that everyone's opinion had to be perfectly aligned with yours.
That you got defensive about what I said tells me everything I need to know.
Oh, forgive me. I forgot the forum changed so that everyone's opinion had to be perfectly aligned with yours.
That you got defensive about what I said tells me everything I need to know.
I'm not the one condemning people for not being receptive to random conversations. It's telling that you think I'm being 'defensive' when I'm simply expressing a different POV.
I can be more extroverted while in public, not "going on" forever, usually commenting, joking around with those who appear receptive, responding, helping another locate something. (This from one being painfully shy when young, prior to working with the public).
As it goes with many topics here, this just shows the differences in personalities, and that we're not identical. I've said this before, the fact that there are 16 different Myers-Briggs Personality test (MBTI) outcomes, says something.
I have strangers strike up conversations with me all the time - I love it. Many times it happens in a clothing store and someone will ask me for advice or to help them decide between two items. It happens in check out lines too. I think I have one of those "open" faces so people feel that I'll be receptive.
I have a friend who went to Europe for the past 3 or 4 weeks.....he normally would go to art museums in Europe, but his knee is shot and walking and standing are killing him - severe pain - he knew this before he took off for Europe, but he went and stays because he finds tons of people (strangers) to talk with in Europe and spends all day and all evening just striking up conversations in his hotels and bars and outside nearby -
which greatly assuages his loneliness in general, and the loneliness he experiences in daily life at home where he lives.
I wonder if this is more common in Europe. We had a house-call doctor visit a few times in Portugal, and he would sit and chat with us about anything, like he was in no hurry at all. Can you imagine!
Our landlord did the same thing in our rental there. Both were busy guys, but liked to chat.
Taxi drivers, waiters, business owners---seem more receptive "over there".
I can talk to anyone about anything, and I'll strike up conversations with strangers, as they sometimes do with me. It's all good unless I can tell the person doesn't really want to talk to me (I do have some self-awareness) or if I think the other person is a psycho. Then I bounce.
I wonder if this is more common in Europe. We had a house-call doctor visit a few times in Portugal, and he would sit and chat with us about anything, like he was in no hurry at all. Can you imagine!
Our landlord did the same thing in our rental there. Both were busy guys, but liked to chat.
Taxi drivers, waiters, business owners---seem more receptive "over there".
If you're comparing to the States, it's really dependent on where you are. Southerners have a knack for talking to complete strangers. And pretty much people from any rural area for that matter.
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Then I bounce.
