"[w]hat was any art but ... a sheath, a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining, elusive element which is life itself - life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose." - Willa Cather, Song of the Lark
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
You too?
Just the other day, I was thinking about the topic that showed up in today's Pearls Before Swine strip: What makes it worse is when you try to correct yourself. Because then it just prolongs the chit-chat awkwardness. Somehow seeing it in a comic strip is funnier.
I actually had a conversation at an airport once with a woman who worked a food stand. She said, "Have a nice flight" and I said "You too." She said she gets it all day long. I'd think, maybe, you wouldn't say that if you worked in an airport unless you like those awkward moments.
I think the amount of time/energy expended on the correction is in direct relation to the cuteness of the person you've IYT'd ... but that could just be me.
It's kind of fascinating, what it says about how we learn social protocols, how we're not really listening to the other person speaking, how our speech is programmed to assume a conversation that's not happening.
5 comments:
I actually had a conversation at an airport once with a woman who worked a food stand. She said, "Have a nice flight" and I said "You too." She said she gets it all day long. I'd think, maybe, you wouldn't say that if you worked in an airport unless you like those awkward moments.
I think the amount of time/energy expended on the correction is in direct relation to the cuteness of the person you've IYT'd ... but that could just be me.
my own example. i was leaving work and my boss said "good luck on your finals!" and i said...
but then i just scurried away. is that more or less awkward?
It's kind of fascinating, what it says about how we learn social protocols, how we're not really listening to the other person speaking, how our speech is programmed to assume a conversation that's not happening.
I do exactly that, almost every day I go to the gym. "You too!" and then I say, "er, I mean, uh...sorry..." and run into the locker room.
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