Here's a typical and superficial conversation that goes on when you talk to someone you're passing by

Person 1: Hey
Person 2: Hey
Person 1: How are you?
Person 2: Good, and you?
Person 1: Fine, thanks.

Ok, first of all, how would person 1 react if they said their life was sucking right now? I don't think he/she would actually stop and ask what's wrong with them, especially if they're strangers. It's just sorta like a long way to say hello but I don't see the point of all of this.

Or another example is when people say whats up? and then just go.

Elian

United States129 Posts

September 04 2009 02:09 GMT

Yeah. It's all pretty ridiculous. haha

Small talk is so bizarre when you realize you have no where else to go in the conversation and were kind of just being polite to begin with.

Though, What's up is sometimes used in place of Hello like a direct substitution.

Koiru

United States116 Posts

September 04 2009 02:12 GMT

I think if someone actually had the balls to say something was wrong I would stop and listen to them because they obviously have something going on that they need to talk about/work out.

micronesia

United States24612 Posts

September 04 2009 02:13 GMT

It isn't pointless... but it doesn't serve the same role as you'd expect it to when you take it all at face value.

Staying gg at the end of a game is about the same.... it only matters when someone ignores it.

Deleted User 31060

3788 Posts

September 04 2009 02:13 GMT

yeah I try to avoid these situations. i think it's stupid.

ghostWriter

United States3302 Posts

September 04 2009 02:16 GMT

I just say hi and move on. If I wanted a conversation with them, I'd invite them to dinner.

Roffles

Pitcairn19291 Posts

September 04 2009 02:22 GMT

Well I can understand when people exchange greetings. But I hate it when people say hi as they pass knowing that there's no time for even a reply back.

Heyoka

Katowice25012 Posts

September 04 2009 02:26 GMT

it depends entirely on the context and your dynamic with that person

YPang

United States4024 Posts

September 04 2009 02:38 GMT

i usually just say hi when i see a stranger passing by
sometimes they'd respond how you doing?
and i just go good. and smile.

uglymoose89

United States671 Posts

September 04 2009 02:39 GMT

#10

On September 04 2009 11:16 ghostWriter wrote:
I just say hi and move on. If I wanted a conversation with them, I'd invite them to dinner.

exactly, the greeting is a formality and not much more. If you want to really know how they are doing you would actually sit down and talk.

Crunchums

United States11143 Posts

September 04 2009 02:40 GMT

#11

"how are you" is just something people say to greet each other

zulu_nation8

China26351 Posts

September 04 2009 02:40 GMT

#12

It's just small talk, blame language.

SanguineToss

Canada815 Posts

September 04 2009 02:41 GMT

#13

Interesting post but as you said 'Here's a typical and superficial conversation that goes on when you talk to someone you're passing by' is something you say to people that you generally dont know and random people arent going to tell their life story.

Kurosaki

United States158 Posts

September 04 2009 02:48 GMT

#14

I hate hate hate small talk. When I do this to someone I haven't seen in a while, it ends up with me never talking to him/her again. The sad thing is that I kept thinking I'll get in-touch with him/her after our chat but it never happens.

Pokebunny

United States10654 Posts

September 04 2009 02:55 GMT

#15

On September 04 2009 11:41 SanguineToss wrote:
Interesting post but as you said 'Here's a typical and superficial conversation that goes on when you talk to someone you're passing by' is something you say to people that you generally dont know and random people arent going to tell their life story.

This. It's usually said where there's nothing else to say in particular.

armed_

Canada443 Posts

September 04 2009 03:17 GMT

#16

I like to pretend I care about people I don't know by having meaningless conversations which involve no actual exchange of information, and would appreciate if you did not criticize my choice of lifestyle.

;<

omninmo

2349 Posts

September 04 2009 04:08 GMT

#17

On September 04 2009 12:17 armed_ wrote:
I like to pretend I care about people I don't know by having meaningless conversations which involve no actual exchange of information, and would appreciate if you did not criticize my choice of lifestyle.

;<

you are free to be plastic. we are free to criticize your plasticity. otherwise you contradict yourself. but you are free to do that as well.

ForSC2

United States580 Posts

September 04 2009 04:58 GMT

#18

If they said their life was sucking i'd probably say oh that's too bad and not press into it much.

When life sucks I don't want random people talking to me, especially not random strangers. If someone say hey hows it going and you say life sucks it's like saying fuck off don't bother me.

When you make small talk I would try to make it more relevant, like comment that this line is really long or say something about that moment.

When I say something like how are you, fine thanks I usually do it more because because I feel stuck into having to say it or I'm just not feeling thinking of something better and say it because fuck I don't want to be that guy that is the one that can't even say gg at the end of a game.

It's like this awkward social etiquette like when you're walking down the street and someone's walking in the same direction and you gotta figure out who goes left and who goes right to get past that fiasco.

Kennelie

United States2296 Posts

September 04 2009 05:07 GMT

#19

The other day I was in court over a ticket and the judge asked me "How you doing today?", I responded "Could be better!" and she said "It could be worse!" and she went on without dismissing my ticket after I had already fixed my problem. Now i gotta pay $87 bucks within a month...what a fuckin bitch I wanted to stab her in the throat.

Anyways I always respond with "could be better" when asked "how are you". A majority of people don't really give a fuck about a strangers feeling and i'm in the majority bracket. Hrmm anyways I don't even know why I responded other then the OP making me think of that bitch ass judge.

micronesia

United States24612 Posts

September 04 2009 05:10 GMT

#20

On September 04 2009 14:07 Kennelie wrote:
The other day I was in court over a ticket and the judge asked me "How you doing today?", I responded "Could be better!" and she said "It could be worse!" and she went on without dismissing my ticket after I had already fixed my problem. Now i gotta pay $87 bucks within a month...what a fuckin bitch I wanted to stab her in the throat.

Anyways I always respond with "could be better" when asked "how are you". A majority of people don't really give a fuck about a strangers feeling and i'm in the majority bracket. Hrmm anyways I don't even know why I responded other then the OP making me think of that bitch ass judge.

Did you also give a bad answer to the cop that pulled you over!? The correct answer to the judge was, "fine, thank you" ya know.