I long ago discovered that no one really likes small talk. It's the prelude to a real conversation; that's the only reason people engage in it (or to signal to each other's monkey brains that one is not a threat).
The solution? Ramp it up into a real conversation. Talk about economics, politics, religion, and Emacs vs. Vim. Out of the blue, whatever.
On a side note, who do you think the women will remember more: the guy who they got into an conversation with about Frederic Bastiat, or the 100th guy to ask them about the weather?
Good luck gauging if the person you're talking to is familiar with classical political theory.
I honestly do think that the content of the conversation doesn't make up 100% of the reason why a girl/friend/colleague remembers you. A lot of it is your mannerisms, look, demeanor, friendliness, etc. A real conversation is great, but it's a very risky bet trying to dive straight in to controversial topics.
The reason smalltalk exists is to get a feel for what topics one can actually discuss. It's all part of the dance.
"On a side note, who do you think the women will remember more: the guy who they got into an conversation with about Frederic Bastiat, or the 100th guy to ask them about the weather?"
Of course, at a bus stop, one does not know whether or not the other people there are familiar with Bastiat. Which is why college is such a great place to meet people--if you meet people in your classes you can discuss the subject.
Comments
I'm a hermit, similarly incapable of smalltalk.
I long ago discovered that no one really likes small talk. It's the prelude to a real conversation; that's the only reason people engage in it (or to signal to each other's monkey brains that one is not a threat).
The solution? Ramp it up into a real conversation. Talk about economics, politics, religion, and Emacs vs. Vim. Out of the blue, whatever.
On a side note, who do you think the women will remember more: the guy who they got into an conversation with about Frederic Bastiat, or the 100th guy to ask them about the weather?
Good luck gauging if the person you're talking to is familiar with classical political theory.
I honestly do think that the content of the conversation doesn't make up 100% of the reason why a girl/friend/colleague remembers you. A lot of it is your mannerisms, look, demeanor, friendliness, etc. A real conversation is great, but it's a very risky bet trying to dive straight in to controversial topics.
The reason smalltalk exists is to get a feel for what topics one can actually discuss. It's all part of the dance.
"On a side note, who do you think the women will remember more: the guy who they got into an conversation with about Frederic Bastiat, or the 100th guy to ask them about the weather?"
Of course, at a bus stop, one does not know whether or not the other people there are familiar with Bastiat. Which is why college is such a great place to meet people--if you meet people in your classes you can discuss the subject.