When someone greets you, do you greet them back? (female, member, workplace)
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I always say Hi, good morning etc when I come across someone in passing especially if the person looks at me. It is common courtesy, and just because I say Hi first, doesn't mean I want to start up a conversation. It's just being polite. And it doesn't mean I am trying to SELL you something or ASK for anything!!
I don't know where you live but I live in a large metro area and have a mile walk between train and work. I pass by hundreds if not thousands of strangers, am I supposed to say hello to everyone? Similarly, but on smaller scale, am I supposed to say hello to everyone I pass by at the grocery store, on my walks in my crowded neighborhood/park, on the train, etc? Trust me, pretty much nobody says hello to strangers here and if you did, everyone would think it's weird/creepy.
Matter of fact, this morning some guy walked up to me and some others and asked for a job. I pretended not to hear him That's why we have our guard up around strangers in downtown urban type areas.
I don't know where you live but I live in a large metro area and have a mile walk between train and work. I pass by hundreds if not thousands of strangers, am I supposed to say hello to everyone? Similarly, but on smaller scale, am I supposed to say hello to everyone I pass by at the grocery store, on my walks in my crowded neighborhood/park, on the train, etc? Trust me, pretty much nobody says hello to strangers here and if you did, everyone would think it's weird/creepy.
Matter of fact, this morning some guy walked up to me and some others and asked for a job. I pretended not to hear him That's why we have our guard up around strangers in downtown urban type areas.
I basically agree with the non-cynical version of what you're saying. We can't be going around saying hello to each and every person we encounter for a myriad of different reasons.
However, I think we, as a society, should always stay proactive when it comes to challenging old and cynical paradigms. For instance, you can't say hello to each person individually for plain logistical reasons but what if one day someone got on a train and bid the passengers as a whole in the immediate train car a "Good Morning, everyone!" or "I hope everyone has a nice day today!" and people kept on doing that? I wonder what kind of creeping effect, after the initial weirdness faded, that would have on the normal silence and mistrust between strangers and the general morale of a city?
Usually, people will conform to the customs of the culture they are in...If you get people being consistently and overtly polite to everyone around them as whole using simple, broad sweeping, non-invasive, polite acts aimed at whole crowds, other people are going to start thinking "Oh, that's how we're supposed to behave? I better start doing that or I won't fit in or seem rude."
And it's so easy to do and it doesn't involve getting in a person's face and bothering them.
All it is is verbally wishing everyone well around you once, but day in day out, as a routine and custom.
If people are repeatedly given verbal confirmation (as opposed to dead silence) that they are in a city where people wish them well, over time, that's going to slowly rewire their thinking and behavior toward their fellow citizens.
People annoy me when they say Hi. What makes you think I want to talk to you? If I want to talk to you for whatever reason then I will go up to you and say what I want to say. Randomly saying "Hi" is just annoying.
So it's ok for you to initialize the conversation but not them?
And again, you're in the southwest. People on here are not understanding that things are different region to region and I dont know why. SOme of you need to get out of your small towns once in a while
You should never assume that people in an anonymous forum are some sort of country bumpkins simply because they still know how to be human. You could be very wrong.
You should never assume that people in an anonymous forum are some sort of country bumpkins simply because they still know how to be human. You could be very wrong.
Ummm, you were the one who said you moved to a small town in Texas, did you not? hmmmm
To people people in LA, NYC, Chicago, Detroit and MIA, that screams bumkin, or someone reallly naive to what goes on in the rest of the country, whether you like it or not. And wheres the law book that says being human means smiling and saying hi to everybody? I didnt know it existed.
As I said, since you're an old timer, you are not seen as threatning so women feel more comfortable talking to you. Good for you
So it's ok for you to initialize the conversation but not them?
Yea, right.
Uh no. I don't go over to people to just say Hi. I just say what I have to say which is important otherwise I wouldn't talk to them. I have no problem with people just saying what they have to say if it is important. Hi is not important. Off you go.
Uh no. I don't go over to people to just say Hi. I just say what I have to say which is important otherwise I wouldn't talk to them. I have no problem with people just saying what they have to say if it is important. Hi is not important. Off you go.
Me either, but if I pass you by I'm going to greet you rather you like it or not. Especially in a professional setting. If you don't like "Hi" there is always the middle finger. Maybe that's more in tune with your personality?
Me either, but if I pass you by I'm going to greet you rather you like it or not. Especially in a professional setting. If you don't like "Hi" there is always the middle finger. Maybe that's more in tune with your personality?
No, silence is more in tune with my personality. I don't greet people unless I'm formally meeting someone or it's the beginning of an important conversation or inquiry. I don't do it just to do it nor when I'm passing someone. It's absolutely pointless.
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That's why we have our guard up around strangers in downtown urban type areas.
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