16 ms·
Agreed, I have been told by Europeans that it's not common in their region to ask what you do for a living. It's as though they'd rather talk about real things
by blisterpeanuts 13y ago
Agreed, I have been told by Europeans that it's not common in their region to ask what you do for a living. It's as though they'd rather talk about real things rather than mundane money-related humdrum topics. It's rather refreshing, actually.
Quite the opposite from Taiwan where I lived for a couple of years. People would ask questions that in the West would be considered incredibly intrusive: how old are you, what do you weigh, are you married (and if not, why not?) and so forth. To me it was like a giant Jewish family. Or, I guess, a giant Chinese family :)
- prewett 13y agoAsking what you do is not asking about "mundane money-related humdrum topics." It is asking "who are you?" "What do like to do so much you spend all day at it?" At least, that's what it is when I ask it.
- yardie 13y agoIt's a difference in mentality between old world Europe and America. Even in the 21st century some aspects of Paris (where I live) are still classist. And the most straightforward way to determine class is by your occupation. Americans ask what do you do because we are, honestly, interested in what you do all day. I work in computers, after work I enjoy discussing computers, tech, drinking. In a previous life I was a bartender, wind tunnel tech, and traveler. But I don't do that now and if I wasn't behind the bar most people wouldn't know I lived that life. So what do you do is an icebreaker for me.