đ
in the depths of the pandemic i was roasting coffee in a warehouse in sand city, ca, basically in my airpods for 18 months straight, and i listened to thousands of hours of interviews.
the best journalists, podcasters, writers, speakers, comedians, really eloquent folks of all types, all do this. check me on it. sarah koenig of npr / serial fame is the goat, but everyone does it.
reminding yourself to do this is reminding yourself to be present, to actually be interested in being interested. and, it feels good when folks find you interesting, so these people that you are now coincidentally more interested in will also like you more.
Apr 28, 2025
Comments (1)
Make an account to reply.
see I kind of love this take, and I do this often, but if Iâm talking to someone I find interesting I say it way too often and then eventually it sounds insincere to me even though I mean it. does it lose its value if said too often? and if so, what counts as âtoo oftenâ?
Related Recs
âď¸
you'll inevitably say something interesting so you can then just expand on any answers that stood out to you
Jun 5, 2024
bonus points if they get the reference!
extra bonus points if they donât because then i get to dive into the full lore of this interview and my complicated feelings about azealia banks, which always makes for a fun conversation starter. i usually follow up by asking if they have a problematic fave because who doesnât?
iâve found you really canât go wrong talking about things that are deeply personal like music, movies, TV, or anything tied to culture. Theyâre all great entry points! yes, the key is to be genuinely interestedâask questionsâ but also give something back (because letâs face it, sometimes youâre the one making it awkward). I think awkwardness usually comes down to trying to find a balance of reciprocity. is someone talking way too much or way too little? learn to know when the conversation is worth sticking around for and when itâs time to excercise some of that beautiful free will we all have and bounce âđ˝.
1d ago
đŤ
Look at them and notice something that they actively chose today. Easy ones are like clothes, bags, jewlery, makeup or whatever. But youâd probably have even better luck with like if theyâre holding a shopping bag or a book or a cup of coffee or the keychain on their keys. idk those are just the examples I thought of. But basically thatâs something intentional, so thatâs something they will have thoughts/feelings/opinions on. Ask a question or make a comment that requires them to reveal that. Like a question you would want someone in your life to ask you about something that you put energy towards, yk? Like for me I always want to talk to people about books Iâve read or that theyve read. Or when Im holding a food or drink I probably could talk about why I wanted that.
But the most important part dude. Is to gauge reaction after that. If they wanna talk more then yay. If not, you gotta let it go donât push. Itâs a them thing, not a you thing.
Sep 10, 2024
Top Recs from @buyingfireworks
Mar 3, 2025
i am a hoodie enthusiast of the highest order. these things are goated beyond all measure. i live in chicago, my boxer husky mix wants to go out all day long in -5°, you can trust me on the subject of warmth. gq wrote a longform piece on how cool this brand is, and as far as i can tell, theyâve got a perfect balance of integrity, humility, and drip.
if a carhartt hoodie is a toyota prius, then a camber hoodie is a volvo from the nineties that somehow looks like a porsche, but cool, if that makes sense lol. thermal lining goes as hard as the website. i just simply need you to trust me.
Feb 26, 2025