Asklemmy

43940 readers

630 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

Open-ended question
Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Lemmyverse: community search
sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
!lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

Do you have favorites or specific list preferences about trivial things like color or music? (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by j4k3@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

20 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I always feel awkward when asked my favorite color, song, or any other type of trivial question. I have my standard responses I remain consistent with over time, but they are only consistent lies. Are those types of questions fundamentally awkward to you too?

I like things that look nice. I may lean toward one color or another at times, but I would never seek out the color before or to the exclusion of something that looks nice. It feels like color prejudice or something to say I have a favorite. I'm open minded to all colors in any situation more like an artistic mind I guess. That is the kind of thought process I go through when I'm asked to pick my favorite (x). I want to respond with the equally vague questions of when and what circumstances.

Some may call it over thinking, but what use is there in saying you have a favorite when in reality it is more complicated. Like, is that favorite song playing at a wedding, a house party, and a funeral. Or, are all your clothes your favorite color.

What do you think a person's response to such questions says about them, their depth, curiosity, and open mindedness?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Mishmash2000 2 points 8 months ago

Nah, I'd be like, go on! Do you associate that song with a particular event, person, time or place in your life? When did you first hear it? In what context is it your fave? Have you ever heard it played live? What was that like? Could you ever imagine another song taking its place or is it too sentimental or ingrained into your very being?

Basically a question like "fave colour/song" is often a simple test. The kind of answer you give should indicate whether or not the topic can be opened up or expanded upon or even just indicate if you want to talk to this person at all right now. If you answer "blue I guess", and look completely disinterested or "insert massive pop hit of the moment" and leave it at that, then they know to go about their day or try another topic like "So what about that sportsball game/weather/current event?". But you might give them a nuanced answer that will lead to more conversation.

It is handy to have a simple, 1 dimensional responce if you want to shut down the conversation quickly or direct it to another topic.