Why don't people want to say what they do for a living?
Discussion
like when I was a kid with my train set and my scalextric set-up together.Thankyou4calling said:
Whenever I ask someone they seem evasive and not want to say what their job is.
It's always "I'm a businessman"
Yes but what business?
"All sorts"
Ahhh what specifically?
"This and that, you know I'm in business"
Are people ashamed or embarrassed ?
I just find it odd.
Can't say I've ever come across that.It's always "I'm a businessman"
Yes but what business?
"All sorts"
Ahhh what specifically?
"This and that, you know I'm in business"
Are people ashamed or embarrassed ?
I just find it odd.
blank said:
037 said:
I find it bizarre when people want to know what you do for a living.
Why swerve any conversation towards work?
Because some people actually have interesting and enjoyable jobs?Why swerve any conversation towards work?
I find it odd that some people are apparently defined by ( and define others ) by their jobs. How utterly boring. Are you really that lacking in imagination? It's like you meet someone and because all you do in life is work, that's all you can talk about.
You learn much more about people by finding out what they enjoy doing outside their job and what their interests are. I enjoy my job but I'm much more interested in talking about other things.
Thankyou4calling said:
I love being asked as I work hard, most of my waking hours are spent at work so yes it defines me, it's who I am and I'm proud of it.
How dull. All you do is your job and when you aren't at work, you want to talk about it to other people you've just met?That's why people avoid telling you about their jobs. It's because they aren't defined by them, like you.
el stovey said:
blank said:
037 said:
I find it bizarre when people want to know what you do for a living.
Why swerve any conversation towards work?
Because some people actually have interesting and enjoyable jobs?Why swerve any conversation towards work?
I find it odd that some people are apparently defined by ( and define others ) by their jobs. How utterly boring. Are you really that lacking in imagination? It's like you meet someone and because all you do in life is work, that's all you can talk about.
You learn much more about people by finding out what they enjoy doing outside their job and what their interests are. I enjoy my job but I'm much more interested in talking about other things.
Out of interest, do you refuse to tell folk, who bother asking, what your occupation is?
whoami said:
Out of interest, do you refuse to tell folk, who bother asking, what your occupation is?
You'd have to hope that when given a deliberately vague answer the person asking the question would realise there was a reason why and quickly switch subject matters to something their conversation partner would be more comfortable discussing. 
whoami said:
I'm entirely unconvinced that people asking what you do for a living "define" you by whatever your answer is. It's just conversation (as previously stated).
Out of interest, do you refuse to tell folk, who bother asking, what your occupation is?
Out of interest, do you refuse to tell folk, who bother asking, what your occupation is?
The OP certainly does and unlike the op, I don't really want to talk about my job.
I'd tell someone who I work for and then ask them the same in reply, then hopefully move on to something more interesting. If someone wants to talk about their job, that's great but I find what people think about other things or what their hobbies are more interesting and let's you get to know them much more than talking about their job really.
Thankyou4calling said:
Impasse said:
Why do you even want to know?
It's called conversation. You meet someone and generally one of the first things most people ask is "What do you do" it's perfectly normal.SidJames said:
Great topic.
Apart from being a topic of conversation, I'm hugely interested in how things work, and how people work. Fascinating.
Doesn't matter whether you own health clubs, mow lawns, build power stations, or an assistant at a pre-school. I can think of a dozen questions starting with "how?" for each of them.
Me, I build sheds. Big ones.
Me too. Not the sheds bit, but I am interested in people, what they do and how they do it. Apart from being a topic of conversation, I'm hugely interested in how things work, and how people work. Fascinating.
Doesn't matter whether you own health clubs, mow lawns, build power stations, or an assistant at a pre-school. I can think of a dozen questions starting with "how?" for each of them.
Me, I build sheds. Big ones.
I have a job that everyone has an opinion on. Rarely a good opinion. I'm happy to talk all about it and what I do, but I often find I am asked to justify or defend what other people in my profession do and how they behave.
All estate agents are t
ts.All car salesmen dishonest.
All journalists are scum.
all teachers are lazy.
All lawyers are shysters.
All politicians are corrupt.
All coppers are b
ds. I am in one of the roles above.
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