Questions
May 26, 2007
Of late I’ve noticed that we tend to ask certain questions either because we don’t have anything to say or just for the sake of asking one. A classic example would be ‘Whatz up?‘ Do you think I would be able to answer this question by listing what is currently happening in my life given the innumerable thoughts that run in my head at that particular moment.
Even if I were to list them out, would someone have the time or the inclination to listen to them? I admit I ask this question too but have we given a thought about what would happen if the other person rattles off their thoughts in one go. Do we even have a minute to empathize with the other person’s answers?
Another seemingly innocuous but damn irritating question (to me at least) is ‘What are your weekend plans?‘. I definitely plan my weekend in advance when I am going on a trip or when I am going home or when am about to meet someone. Otherwise I keep it open as I would like to take it as it comes. However, I don’t think I would be able to explain this to every one of them who asks me what my plans are. So I am forced to answer ‘I am now not sure of what I am gonna do. Let’s see how it goes.‘
So far so good is what you’d think but it doesn’t stop there.A few of the really inquisitive persist by asking ‘Hey man what is this? How come you don’t have anything planned?‘ This is when it gets my goat but I quickly mutter ‘Yeah i know i should’ve planned something.’
Incidentally, I don’t get annoyed when I hear the question ‘How was your weekend?‘ because I would be able to tell them what I was upto. Anyway, I feel we have become accustomed to asking these questions by habit and I don’t think there’s any end to this given how much fast paced our lives have become now. So until then, I’ll have to accept these questions and probably get to ask them too. Speaking of which, whatz up in your life these days?
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This is the personal blog of Shriram who digs travel, music, movies, trains and tea.
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May 27th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Probably the best way to answer such questions would be a sugar-coated, seemingly polite ‘why the heck do you want to know?’ Btw, God save you if you use that on me!
On a serious note, how possible do you think it is to come up with new, creative, never-asked-before questions each time you are faced with an awkwardly silent moment in a conversation? At times, we’d need to put up with the formality questions and answers just for the politeness of it!
May 28th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Thanks for the comment Roopa. I shall have this in mind
Jokes apart, I concur with you when you say that we can’t come up with creative questions every time we talk to someone but that doesn’t mean you ask something just for the sake of asking.
Anyway, like I said before, we just have to put up with these questions for formality sake and realize that there is no way out.