Which of these do you prefer talking about?

Do you prefer talking about people -- or discussing ideas?

For example, if you had a choice between chatting with your coworker about her neighbor's friend's cousin, or conversing about something more substantive -- say, human behavior, the future of the U.S. under Donald Trump, or research-backed ways to lose weight -- which would you choose?

As you can probably guess, I strongly favor the latter.

When it comes to people-centered conversations, I become very bored after a while unless the conversation concerns something impressive the subject has done (e.g., graduate with honors or start his own business).

I find the most compelling conversations to be those I can (1) relate to, and (2) ultimately learn something from. For example, if I were looking to sell my property, I would take great interest in a friend's drawn-out speech on everything her sister went through to sell her townhouse. If I were looking to buy new tires for my car, I'd listen attentively to someone sounding off about the great deal on tires they snagged at a local shop.

But conversations devoid of any substance are ones I try to run away from or end as quickly as I can. You'll notice that such conversations usually involve gossip or center on shallow topics like the weather.

We've all witnessed conversations in which people talk about things we couldn't care less about, whether it's sports, beauty products, or Indonesian foods. As the mind-numbing chatter wears on, you feel compelled to set off the fire alarm so that the conversation can come to an abrupt end.

Some of you may very well like talking about people -- no matter whom it is -- and I can respect that. But I have to be honest: I've just never been big on small talk, no matter how hard I try. I suppose I hear so much superficial banter on television and around me that I've grown weary of it.

You'd be amazed at how many of these blogs posts I've written at work while listening to people drone on and on! I've told friends and relatives alike: If you wish to keep me engaged, talk to me about something profound!

So, do you prefer talking about people or ideas? Why?

Comments

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