Small talk and the obligatory joke

[Noah Abrams]

How was your weekend? How is your day going? Insert the obligatory joke somewhere along this.

People probably mean well, but I am not good at it. Just doesn't come to me naturally as it seems to for a lot of people. I do like long, deep back and forth conversations, but there are hardly any takers for that. Almost none

 

[highland145]

So a pigeon walks into a bar....

 

[Platypus]

This varies by culture and location I think. In the US it's definitely this weird cheesy construct of small talk and saying these pre-canned phrases and responses to things in order to make people feel more comfortable. If you asked how someone was doing in Germany for example, and you didn't know them well enough to ask that, it's considered rude and presumptuous. I think that makes more sense, because what you're actually asking someone is how they're really doing, as if you were a close confidant. That isn't the kind of question you ask a cab driver or store clerk or someone in the elevator.. because it's not a situation where you actually know someone well enough to ask how they are.

 

[Noah Abrams]

I’ve heard in Sweden, if someone asks a stranger how are you, that person is considered mentally insane

 

[Noah Abrams]

This varies by culture and location I think. In the US it's definitely this weird cheesy construct of small talk and saying these pre-canned phrases and responses to things in order to make people feel more comfortable..

In my case it makes me rather uncomfortable. I’m a lot more comfortable in the absence of such canned phrases

 

[Platypus]

In my case it makes me rather uncomfortable. I’m a lot more comfortable in the absence of such canned phrases

It doesn't make me uncomfortable really, it's just pointless conversation I'd rather not feel socially obligated to reciprocate.

 

[zinfamous]

--How was your weekend?
--Great!
--Oh? How many dicks did you suck?

Like that?

 

[ctbaars]

So a pigeon walks into a bar....

... and ... did he get a black eye? a broken beak? ... what?

 

[nakedfrog]

--How was your weekend?
--Great!
--Oh? How many dicks did you suck?

Like that?

I'm just wondering which side of that conversation represents you.

 

[highland145]

... and ... did he get a black eye? a broken beak? ... what?

No one cares. It's just small talk.