Why don't people want to say what they do for a living?
Discussion
TheJimi said:
I detest being asked what I do for a living, particularly so when it's one of the first things I hear from someone I have just met.
Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I suspect that most people who ask that question, especially if they've just met you, are intending on using your answer to form their opinion of you.
The question isn't as harmelss as many of you appear to think it is, imo.
This, if I don't know you, you'll get limited information until I work out what sort of person you are...Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I suspect that most people who ask that question, especially if they've just met you, are intending on using your answer to form their opinion of you.
The question isn't as harmelss as many of you appear to think it is, imo.
Blown2CV said:
By the way if anyone i'd just met actually asked me how much money I have, or even alluded to that question then i'd be closing the conversation down and finding someone who is less of a 
.
"what do you do for a living?" is, imo, also just a socially acceptable way of asking the above.. Edited by TheJimi on Sunday 26th July 20:49
toxgobbler said:
TheJimi said:
I detest being asked what I do for a living, particularly so when it's one of the first things I hear from someone I have just met.
Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I suspect that most people who ask that question, especially if they've just met you, are intending on using your answer to form their opinion of you.
The question isn't as harmelss as many of you appear to think it is, imo.
This, if I don't know you, you'll get limited information until I work out what sort of person you are...Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I suspect that most people who ask that question, especially if they've just met you, are intending on using your answer to form their opinion of you.
The question isn't as harmelss as many of you appear to think it is, imo.
Blown2CV said:
By the way if anyone i'd just met actually asked me how much money I have, or even alluded to that question then i'd be closing the conversation down and finding someone who is less of a .
"what do you do for a living?" is, imo, also just a socially acceptable way of asking the above.. Edited by TheJimi on Sunday 26th July 20:49
t about what either of you do for a living.It's just inconsequential small talk.
Usually endured until someone interesting turns up.
TheJimi said:
I Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I suspect that most people who ask that question, especially if they've just met you, are intending on using your answer to form their opinion of you.
Errrr, that is correct for every single question they ask you. It's not exclusive to the OP's question, nor any other. It's human nature and that's how we form opinions of almost everyone we meet.
Surely when you meet someone for the first time and there's silences that should be filled with chat you start by discussing whatever's appropriate to the situation (e.g. If you are at the F1, you chat about how Hamiltons doing or the ground Ferrari have made up etc). If it's a social situation such as a dinner party you ask questions such as what you do for a living to find some common ground about which to have a conversation.
I can't immediately think of a single person I've met who if I ask what they do I can't then ask further intelligent questions helping to find some common interest about which to chat.
I can't immediately think of a single person I've met who if I ask what they do I can't then ask further intelligent questions helping to find some common interest about which to chat.
Impasse said:
Maybe not in your social circles.
Sorry, T4C, but that would be exceptionally rude. You should either already know what they do to pass the time and thus be able to engage them, or you should wait until that information is offered. But to ask that question is like licking your knife or taking the nose from the brie.
Your social circles sound tiresome.Sorry, T4C, but that would be exceptionally rude. You should either already know what they do to pass the time and thus be able to engage them, or you should wait until that information is offered. But to ask that question is like licking your knife or taking the nose from the brie.
GetCarter said:
Personally I prefer to know who people are, rather than what they do, so I tend to leave the question out of the conversation until I'm intrigued enough to find out. Much more fun.
Isn't what someone does part of who they are? Personally I have enough of the autist about me to not care very much, so long as they're neither boring nor offensive...Try being a local authority highway engineer.
Usual comments:
"You hate cars then?"
"Aah, the cones are YOUR fault?"
"Why don't you fix the potholes?"
"Oh, why are there road works outside my house for the last year?" (Which you then find out are BT or Gas or something totally unrelated)
"Oh, I know how to sort out the traffic, you need to do x and y and z." (Usually from a guy who just sits and looks at a computer all day)
Driving on the road does not equal being qualified to comment on the day to day operation and engineering of the infrastructure.
ETA it's genuinely amusing how many of the posters on here work in IT in some way. Can I just say to you all, stop posting on here and get on with fixing my fking computer! 
ETA2 Could be worse, you could all be car salesmen.
Usual comments:
"You hate cars then?"
"Aah, the cones are YOUR fault?"
"Why don't you fix the potholes?"
"Oh, why are there road works outside my house for the last year?" (Which you then find out are BT or Gas or something totally unrelated)
"Oh, I know how to sort out the traffic, you need to do x and y and z." (Usually from a guy who just sits and looks at a computer all day)
Driving on the road does not equal being qualified to comment on the day to day operation and engineering of the infrastructure.
ETA it's genuinely amusing how many of the posters on here work in IT in some way. Can I just say to you all, stop posting on here and get on with fixing my f
king computer! ETA2 Could be worse, you could all be car salesmen.
Edited by OpulentBob on Monday 27th July 09:06
cashmax said:
TheJimi said:
I Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I suspect that most people who ask that question, especially if they've just met you, are intending on using your answer to form their opinion of you.
Errrr, that is correct for every single question they ask you. It's not exclusive to the OP's question, nor any other. It's human nature and that's how we form opinions of almost everyone we meet.This guy gets it -
GetCarter said:
Personally I prefer to know who people are, rather than what they do, so I tend to leave the question out of the conversation until I'm intrigued enough to find out. Much more fun.
KaraK said:
Have to agree with the previous posters, saying I work in IT somehow always gets interpreted by people as "Call me any time to fix your computer' 
...
This is exactly the wrong answer as it can mean anything (and most people assume you can fix a PC). ...('Why don't people want to say what they do in IT?
)I am an IT Manager... or at least thats what I tell people, it's not strictly true but close enough. People tend to switch off that subject after that as it's about as boring as a job gets in their head. I am lucky that I meet alot of people who do interesting things for a living so when asked I tell them, then find out what they do and spend the time talking about that, so much easier!
I get kind of jealous of people who do interesting things for a living but can't change as I have hit a certain salary that would be hard to clime down from for a few years to retrain!
I get kind of jealous of people who do interesting things for a living but can't change as I have hit a certain salary that would be hard to clime down from for a few years to retrain!
I work for a well known internet service provider. The usual responses range from, "Oh, I was once a customer; you're really st" to "Oh, why can't I get better than 3Mb?" It is worse when people think they know something about it and/or appear interested, and in both cases they think all I will want to do is talk about it.
t" to "Oh, why can't I get better than 3Mb?" It is worse when people think they know something about it and/or appear interested, and in both cases they think all I will want to do is talk about it.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff