Asklemmy

You have more in common with normies than you think. Focus on that and ignore the rest. Example. A few years ago I lived walking distance away from a barber shop and a salon. The barber shop was always packed and the salon was always empty. I started going to the salon to save the wait. I found out why it was always empty. The owner was a massive Trump supporter and would rant about politics all the time. But it was always empty so I kept going there. Over time I realized how easy it was to have a conversation with her if I picked the right topics. Insurance, cable companies, the price of gas. Basically, all of the ways we're getting fucked.

Regular people have opinions about the things we talk about (privacy, consumerism, AI etc.). So, it's really easy to strike up a conversation. Try it the next time you are waiting in the self checkout line. "You wouldn't believe how many times that thing has accused me of stealing..." "IDK about you, but whenever I have to select produce, I pick the cheap one." "Did you know they use the security footage to make computers smarter?" "I heard xyz thing about smart cars." "They terk er jerbs!"

Don't lean into it too hard or be too technical. Set something up and let them do most of the talking. Then ask another question. Listen even if they are wrong. Use your expertise to guide them to what they already know, but don't actively think about. Everyone knows google spies on us or social media is harmful. Get them to think about how and why.

Getting as deep in the weeds as we are is definitely isolating, but when you approach things this way, you find you have more similarities with the average person than differences.