What can I talk about at work?

[Dingfod]

The usual guideline is you cannot talk about politics, religion or sex in polite company, which would normally include most workplaces. I don't like sports or even to talk about sports. So, what does that leave? The weather? I know a lot about weather, but like a lot of other subjects that could come up, it makes me look geeky rather than knowledgible. My personal problems? I don't think so. My kids accomplishments? That makes people whose kids are not performing as well think you are a braggart.

I'm looking for ideas. I have no idea how to make small talk without the above subject matter. So, what else is there? Aside from religion, politics, sex, weather, yourself, kids, and sports, what can you talk about in a semi-formal social setting or workplace?

[Scotty]

Oh heck, be geeky and read: http://slashdot.org/

That will give you plenty of geeky stuff to talk about. Even if they have no idea what you are talking about.

I work with geeks, so computers come up pretty often.

-Scott

[Dingfod]

My cow orkers are the antithesis of geek, except in their own geeky non-geekyness, more dorks than geeks. The staff in the cube farm is mostly of accounting and business degree backgrounds and the staff in the control room are uneducated dolts like myself, only not nearly as well-read. Tech talk about computers would get the same results as talk about mesocyclones and stratocirrus clouds, a glassy-eyed blank stare.

With the cow orkers in the control room, I can talk about cars and motorcycles to some degree. And some serious joshing about brand loyalty. My problem is with the cube farm crop outside the control room that I have to interact with on a regular basis.

[beyelzu]

My cow orkers are the antithesis of geek, except in their own geeky non-geekyness, more dorks than geeks. The staff in the cube farm is mostly of accounting and business degree backgrounds and the staff in the control room are uneducated dolts like myself, only not nearly as well-read. Tech talk about computers would get the same results as talk about mesocyclones and stratocirrus clouds, a glassy-eyed blank stare.

With the cow orkers in the control room, I can talk about cars and motorcycles to some degree. And some serious joshing about brand loyalty. My problem is with the cube farm crop outside the control room that I have to interact with on a regular basis.
you could talk about business and stocks, read the wallstreet journal and then just make shit up as necessary, it is unlikely the dumbasses will notice anyway. :D

[beyelzu]

talk about tv, south park

movies you have seen

and if people seem cool talk about porn, but do not admit that you like yao, people just wont respect that.

[Dingfod]

you could talk about business and stocks, read the wallstreet journal and then just make shit up as necessary, it is unlikely the dumbasses will notice anyway. :DGood idea. I'm already a sizeable leap ahead of most of them in my understanding of business and stocks, despite my lacking their accounting or business degrees. I could just act dumb about the subject though, and get them to tell me how it works. Yeah. I'm not trying to one-up anyone or bore them with details of how things work, which I am prone to do IRL, I just want to be able to converse without touching on the touchy subjects in the OP.

[beyelzu]

you could talk about business and stocks, read the wallstreet journal and then just make shit up as necessary, it is unlikely the dumbasses will notice anyway. :DGood idea. I'm already a sizeable leap ahead of most of them in my understanding of business and stocks, despite my lacking their accounting or business degrees. I could just act dumb about the subject though, and get them to tell me how it works. Yeah. I'm not trying to one-up anyone or bore them with details of how things work, which I am prone to do IRL, I just want to be able to converse without touching on the touchy subjects in the OP.
does this mean that you arent going to take me up on the porn idea as well? :D

[Dingfod]

I think the only time I will talk about porn will be talking about gay porn as the homophobes take a shortcut through the control room.

[maddog]

books are good. "what are you reading?"
what's going on at the house -- there's always some fix-it project going on
your hobbies (you don't do sports, so some of mine won't work for you )

THEIR kids
THEIR house
THEIR hobbies

where you went with your friends/spouse/kids and what you did (the zoo, the beach, to visit a friend in the hospital, to take care of your elderly parents)

The older I get, the easier it is for us to talk about our aches and pains, maladies and medicines. :D

I like "what if" games:
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
If you could have had any career in the world, what would your top 5 picks be?
If you could live in any city, where would you live?
If you could have some one "superpower," what would it be?
If you could change one thing about the universe, what would it be? what do you think the "unintended" consequences of such a change would be? (e.g., wish there were no disease; what about population? doctors? hospitals? medicines? whole industries would disappear. etc.)

My friend Charlie and I play a "categories" game:
How many breeds of dogs can you name?
How many Elvis Presley songs do you know?
kinds of cars
Roman emperors
countries of the world

travel is good. Where have you been? Where would you like to go? If you haven't been much of anywhere, what do you like about where you live?

art,
museums,
food,
gardening,
restaurants,
music you like/hate
pets
how to get organized
who are your heroes/what makes a hero?

hmm. all I can think of off the top of my head.
#59

[Godless Dave]

You could just do what I do, and only talk about work-related topics with coworkers. Keeps my days nice and quiet.

[Dingfod]

Good stuff, maddog. That's what I was wanting. I'm printing that off and keeping it on my desk for reference.

You could just do what I do, and only talk about work-related topics with coworkers. Keeps my days nice and quiet.
People already think I'm too serious at work, they just want to chit-chat sometimes and I am not good at it with people I share few interests with. I'm not even that good at with people that do share a common interest. However, once I get to know someone well, they probably wish I would shut the hell up.

[HelenM]

Good stuff, maddog. That's what I was wanting. I'm printing that off and keeping it on my desk for reference.

You could just do what I do, and only talk about work-related topics with coworkers. Keeps my days nice and quiet.
People already think I'm too serious at work, they just want to chit-chat sometimes and I am not good at it with people I share few interests with. I'm not even that good at with people that do share a common interest. However, once I get to know someone well, they probably wish I would shut the hell up.

It seems like you've got some great suggestions already.

Most people love to talk about themselves and their world. Try a few of the general questions people have given you, then the next step is to be able to ask follow-up questions if/when they stop talking. If you get a short answer to "What book are you reading?" you can follow up with "How is it?" or "What kind of books do you most like to read?"

Another thing people love to do is give advice. You can ask "What places do you like to go with your family at weekends?" or "Are there any movies showing right now that you'd recommend?"

Learning "trigger" things to say that get other people talking will help, because as they talk something they say will probably tie into something you're interested in eventually. Then you can jump in if you want.

You said you don't want to appear a braggart about your kids, but I think that has to do with how much you say and whether you ever shut up about them. I doubt people will be offended by you mentioning anything significant going on with them. If they are hoping you'll chat more, they'll probably be delighted to hear something non-work related come out of your mouth!

Helen