4 ms·

> and then you suddenly have to make very real choices (do you start bragging yourself, do you pretend they didn't brag, do you say something completely vanilla

> and then you suddenly have to make very real choices (do you start bragging yourself, do you pretend they didn't brag, do you say something completely vanilla like "Sounds like you really enjoyed your vacation", do you call it out with a joke?). There's no decision to be made at all, because the option is always to say something vanilla. Why would you even think of any other option? Sometimes people aren't bragging, they're just excited about something. Could be their first time ever on a real vacation.

sublinear 3y ago
> Why would you even think of any other option? You don't want to seem cold or fake. Vanilla answers all the time will guarantee you get ignored when good things are happening to everyone else.
- carlosjobim 3y ago
  You don't have to be cold or fake, but a vanilla answer is better than some competition of words.
zug_zug 3y ago
> There's no decision to be made at all, because the option is always to say something vanilla. Why would you even think of any other option? I have no idea what you mean by that. There are plenty of people who are playing the "Who's trendier" game and who will like you more if you say, "oh yeah, Brussels, I was there last year but this year I went to [new trendy spot]." This is because some people genuinely do want to be trendy and do want to hang out with trendy people.
- carlosjobim 3y ago
  I guarantee that you won't have to compete verbally with anybody on who's more trendy. Silence is golden. Somebody will ask you if you like to travel. And if people aren't interested in you anyway, it's a blessing to let them do the talking.
  - zug_zug 3y ago
    I feel like you're espousing advice for how you wish the world was rather than the world we actually live in, which I see as unuseful.
    - carlosjobim 3y ago
      I think you and others here don't understand subtle ways. When you're sitting at a table with a braggart or two who are trying to impress by being more trendy or whatever, you can just let them talk. Just one look and a funny eye roll slyly to the other company and you've already beat them. Trying to compete in bragging is foolishness. Nobody's impressed.

sublinear 3y ago

> Why would you even think of any other option? You don't want to seem cold or fake. Vanilla answers all the time will guarantee you get ignored when good things are happening to everyone else.

carlosjobim 3y ago
You don't have to be cold or fake, but a vanilla answer is better than some competition of words.

zug_zug 3y ago

> There's no decision to be made at all, because the option is always to say something vanilla. Why would you even think of any other option? I have no idea what you mean by that. There are plenty of people who are playing the "Who's trendier" game and who will like you more if you say, "oh yeah, Brussels, I was there last year but this year I went to [new trendy spot]." This is because some people genuinely do want to be trendy and do want to hang out with trendy people.

carlosjobim 3y ago
I guarantee that you won't have to compete verbally with anybody on who's more trendy. Silence is golden. Somebody will ask you if you like to travel. And if people aren't interested in you anyway, it's a blessing to let them do the talking.
- zug_zug 3y ago
  I feel like you're espousing advice for how you wish the world was rather than the world we actually live in, which I see as unuseful.
  - carlosjobim 3y ago
    I think you and others here don't understand subtle ways. When you're sitting at a table with a braggart or two who are trying to impress by being more trendy or whatever, you can just let them talk. Just one look and a funny eye roll slyly to the other company and you've already beat them. Trying to compete in bragging is foolishness. Nobody's impressed.