Asking “so what do you do for a living?” when meeting someone new as if their job defines them. It’s one of the first questions Americans will ask someone when meeting them for the first time. I am American, but as I understand it, this question is far less common elsewhere in the world.
This has always gotten under my skin as well. I generally downplay it to make my job sound as common as possible, and I do not return the question. What I do for money has very little influence on who I am or what I enjoy.
If they answer with hobbies and interests, they’re more my kind of person. If they answer with their job stuff, well that’s just their main life thing.
I just ask, in a screaming tone, WHO DOES NUMBER TWO WORK FOR???
They usually just look at me, and assume there’s been some kind of language barrier. Nope. I’m just referencing an obscure scene that nobody remembers from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. A film that came out in 1997. So a lot of people these days weren’t even BORN when that movie came out.
I feel it’s a bit tacky as a first question, but if I’m not asking it at some point I personally feel like I’m not making a real effort to know someone.
For a lot of people I think it’s just their go-to ice breaker since most people have a job or some kind of education they are involved in.
I personally really enjoy hearing about many people jobs since they really open my eyes to a different lifestyles and working environments out there, or I might get the scoop on workplace drama stories.
I usually wait for the other person to bring up work. There’s no reason to assume, because idk, maybe they’re a stay at home parent, maybe they’re in between jobs or just got laid off, maybe they do work but it’s shitty. There are all sorts of reasons someone wouldn’t want to talk about it.
Asking “so what do you do for a living?” when meeting someone new as if their job defines them. It’s one of the first questions Americans will ask someone when meeting them for the first time. I am American, but as I understand it, this question is far less common elsewhere in the world.
This has always gotten under my skin as well. I generally downplay it to make my job sound as common as possible, and I do not return the question. What I do for money has very little influence on who I am or what I enjoy.
I ask, “So what do you do?”
If they answer with hobbies and interests, they’re more my kind of person. If they answer with their job stuff, well that’s just their main life thing.
If you ask an American they will assume you MEAN their job, whether it’s their “main life thing” or not, because that’s how people talk here
My default answer to that is ‘As little as possible.’
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Well aren’t you just a barrel of laughs :)
I just ask, in a screaming tone, WHO DOES NUMBER TWO WORK FOR???
They usually just look at me, and assume there’s been some kind of language barrier. Nope. I’m just referencing an obscure scene that nobody remembers from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. A film that came out in 1997. So a lot of people these days weren’t even BORN when that movie came out.
You show that turd who’s boss!
Can we get a courtesy flush?
Depends on where in America, too. It literally is question #1 in D.C., but has been less so elsewhere, in my experience.
I feel it’s a bit tacky as a first question, but if I’m not asking it at some point I personally feel like I’m not making a real effort to know someone.
For a lot of people I think it’s just their go-to ice breaker since most people have a job or some kind of education they are involved in.
I personally really enjoy hearing about many people jobs since they really open my eyes to a different lifestyles and working environments out there, or I might get the scoop on workplace drama stories.
I usually wait for the other person to bring up work. There’s no reason to assume, because idk, maybe they’re a stay at home parent, maybe they’re in between jobs or just got laid off, maybe they do work but it’s shitty. There are all sorts of reasons someone wouldn’t want to talk about it.
Also, “where do you go to church?”
I just try not to be around people that would ask that