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How do you deal with having to make casual conversation with someone you have nothing in common? (hilariouschaos.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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At work, for example.

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[–] dariusj18 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Sex, religion, politics.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Must make for some wild elevator rides

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Lol

[–] MoonManKipper 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The weather is a good starting point. How was your weekend? Any thing good planned for your holiday/ weekend? If they’re a talker they’ll fill in the space, if not then they’ll give perfunctory replies and you can revert to happy silence

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's a great strategy, I tend to ask a lot of questions when I'm in those situations too, just so I have to do as little talking as possible. People love talking about themselves too so I pretend to be interested in the bits they share about their life.

I guess it's just a bit hard to roll with it when you're really not interested at all, there are people with whom I like making chit chat. Others I have nothing in common with and it's an absolute chore.

[–] Zachariah 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Make the questions a game to try to unearth the thing you would find most fascinating about them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

That's a good suggestion, I don't know if I could keep it honest though, I may end up trying to unearth the thing I find the most repulsive.

[–] Rolando 2 points 5 months ago

I had a BFF who was great at this. They'd just say: What are you up to, where you from, how do you know [mutual friend], etc. Then once the other person started talking, look for things you have in common: oh yeah I went to [location] I really liked [whatever], I know [person] from there too, hey I heard [a relevant news item], etc. You have to judge how much to talk vs listen.

CAUTION: if you're interviewing someone for a job there are often rules/laws about what you can ask. And if you're coworkers it's best to start out focusing on the job: What project are you working on, are you familiar with [task], are you looking forward to [deadline/event], etc.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I usually ask them a lot of questions to keep them talking

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I revert to that too

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

🤣 then they're like, "so tell me more about you"

And I hit them with

"Ha ha ha yea..... So dam, your work in the industry is one of the best if I'm being honest. Where'd you get so skilled? I mean, your expertise is just incredible!"

So then they perk up cuz I made them feel like God for a second and they start fucking talking again and in my head I'm just laughing my ass off like yeah that's right bitch you keep on talking

🤣🤣🤣

[–] Anticorp 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Just don't. Be comfortable with silence.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

It's very hard