Even though my last post finished by referring to the weather, talking about it is one of the things I detest the most. Fortunately, this week the weather has changed for the better and as a beloved friend recently reminded me, it carries on being the predictable theme of conversation in elevators. But, just for a change, would we dare to pose a meaningful question to a stranger?
Having said that, my friends know that I ask weird questions sometimes, just to start a deeper conversation, and to get to know more about topics such as ourselves, our fears, hopes and opinions. However, this idea is not my own, nor is it new. Of course, everybody has the same questions about life, but it was a student from the USA who set up a website focused on big talk which I discovered while surfing the Internet.
?Skip small talk, make meaningful connections? is the motto of the web page, and after reading the content on the website, it may now be considered a worldwide movement. Notwithstanding that everyone knows what questions they would like to ask to really connect with other people, they can be reticent to pose these questions, mostly because it implies an attempt to have answered the same questions themselves first. So, if you prefer, the conversation can be initiated as a game. In fact, there is a card game that is commercially available called ?The Big Talk Question Card Game?.
Hardly ever do I play cards. I don?t know how to play chess, poker, or many other board games, but I love to pose meaningful questions and await the answer. When the opportunity is given, I find that, invariably, people open their hearts and start sharing their feelings. Thus, an open conversation may bring about unexpected results, usually very interesting ones in my experience.
Over the years, a question has been the final line for most of my posts. Some of them might deserve a card in a game like the one mentioned before; but, in this case, it is not necessary to pay for them. It has been really worthwhile if you have stopped for a moment to consider my closing questions and gone to share your thoughts with someone.
Hence, to skip small talk, let us ponder a question I have found in The Guardian during the week:
The million-dollar question: Would you quit work for ?1m?
This page is also available in:
Espa?ol
Nope, I wouldn t. What about you? Would
You?
Thank you very much for your comment. I am honored to have you as a reader, you know I work hard to write in English, it is a pleasure too.
And if you want to know my choice, as you I wouldn?t. My job gives me more than money with which to pay my bills, it allows me to express myself and find wonderful people.