Thread: Conversations with random people

I do this frequently. If I'm waiting in line or strolling about I've found myself having indepth conversations with people I've never met. Government, religion, taxes, cars, infrastructure and even race. Never got heated, even if the person is anti whatever I am. This happens probably a couple times a month and has been going on for years. Male, female, black, white or whatever I just have conversations with people at random. You can pick up who is approached and tbh it's a spontaneous thing that I don't seek out anyway. Just wondering how many of us do this.

That sounds like my absolute worst nightmare.

The last time I had a random conversation with someone was when I recommended I nice edition of the divine comedy in a bookshop after overhearing their conversation, that was about 6 months ago.

I know @Batman it's weird to me as well. I had some lady who I didn't know telling me about problems she was having with her husband. I'm actually more on the introverted side so beleive me I don't seek it I guess I just accept it now. It does seem odd to me as well being that when I come home from a trip to the city I feel overwhelmed and need to decompress. I am not a social gadfly I have a small core group of friends and have learned to quickly trim anyone who betrays my confidence as that is something I will never do to anyone yet I have deep conversations with someone I've just run into and we have exchanged some heavy stuff. One guy actually was telling me he just received a terminal diagnoses and this was just standing outside a coffee shop. His wife was waiting in the car so I figure it wasn't a gay guy trying to hit on me plus the tone of the conversation certainly did not approach anything like that. Maybe it's easier to tell someone you don't know a burden as you don't really care what they will do with it but not all these conversations I mention are burden unloading they are similar to talking to someone you know and having a bs session. I really can't explain it but it's nice hearing points of view on varied subjects from people you don't know. I was in a bit of a rough section of Bridgeport getting gas and a black guy who appeared to be homeless walked up to me. I expected to be hit up for money but he asked me how I was doing and we somehow got into a gen minute conversation on the book "Confessions of st Augustine" ( @Batman you should read that it's great) and if you are wondering no I wasn't preaching to the guy, I don't try to convert people, I'm not good at it. What happened was I quoted the book, a part that doesn't mention Christ or religion, it's just a cool quote and the guy knew it. Oddly, in the end I offered to give him a few bucks or buy him something at the gas station and he said thanks very much but declined. I brought this up as it happened to me today again when I went for a walk. I agree with you batman, at one time this would be torture to me but maybe I spent so long in the mental health feild and really learning how to listen something changed along the way. One of the saddest was a guy who was recovering from a stroke and was learning how to talk again. It took him about 40 seconds to form one word but he had recently been released from a rehab facility and I could tell he really wanted to try to conversation with me but I almost cried a few times in front of him, I was able to hold it together and listen to him and he thanked me but I cried like a baby when I got to my car, damn I hope he is doing alright

Damn that was a long post don't feel u have to read it.

Originally Posted by walrus

Damn that was a long post don't feel u have to read it.

I prefer PK's posts.

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by walrus

Damn that was a long post don't feel u have to read it.

I prefer PK's posts.

pk is incredibly gifted at getting to the point. Pk is a great man. If I ran him off, if I am responsible for such a travesty, I will never forgive myself, God help me.

Originally Posted by walrus

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by walrus

Damn that was a long post don't feel u have to read it.

I prefer PK's posts.

pk is incredibly gifted at getting to the point. Pk is a great man. If I ran him off, if I am responsible for such a travesty, I will never forgive myself, God help me.

It is my greatest accomplishment.

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by walrus

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by walrus

Damn that was a long post don't feel u have to read it.

I prefer PK's posts.

pk is incredibly gifted at getting to the point. Pk is a great man. If I ran him off, if I am responsible for such a travesty, I will never forgive myself, God help me.

It is my greatest accomplishment.

No. Not even close. Your greatest accomplishment is on the horizon and involves Ross.

A"trim"? I'm bald, idiot.

Does anyone randomly answer your own greetings when confronted with rude cashiers or customer reps? For example "Hey how's your day going"...response "....(scans item..looks down at her phone...chews gum like a cow)....". So you reply "that's outstanding, I'm doing faaaaaaantastic this fine day. Definitely cannot wait to open one of those cold ones"

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Does anyone randomly answer your own greetings when confronted with rude cashiers or customer reps? For example "Hey how's your day going"...response "....(scans item..looks down at her phone...chews gum like a cow)....". So you reply "that's outstanding, I'm doing faaaaaaantastic this fine day. Definitely cannot wait to open one of those cold ones"

Similar if I hold de doe open for someone and they don't say anything I always say yourwelcome

Originally Posted by walrus

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Does anyone randomly answer your own greetings when confronted with rude cashiers or customer reps? For example "Hey how's your day going"...response "....(scans item..looks down at her phone...chews gum like a cow)....". So you reply "that's outstanding, I'm doing faaaaaaantastic this fine day. Definitely cannot wait to open one of those cold ones"

Similar if I hold de doe open for someone and they don't say anything I always say yourwelcome

ME TOO!! Normally all that gets me is a dirty look, though.

I guess it is very different back home. I had a friend who went back to the states for a holiday and he was glad to get back here as he found the amount of random conversation too overwhelming. He is a pretty garrulous guy himself, so it was funny hearing him speak like that. Personally I don't speak to random people as I am quite a shy person really. If I know you I will talk you to death, but if I don't know you, I have nothing to say. I'm not into small talk, only big talk.

I talk and am talked to by literally 25 to 50 random strangers per day. The more random spontaneous encounters you engage in, the more flexible and quick-thinking you become. I don't see the problem or even the difficulty with it. Its part of living in a 20+ million city.

I wouldn't look down on anyone who doesn't, some days I do myself. I just enjoy the fact that we can be friendly to each other at times