What's wrong wih a little intellectual conversation?

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From experience I've recognized that if you try to have a conversation with people about something deep or philosophical, they tend to think that you're weird or that there's something wrong with you. They prefer to hear about what new features they discovered on their iPhones or what a certain actor/actress looks like naked or the latest episode of Family Guy, etc, etc. Don't get me wrong, I like to talk about my favorite movies, TV shows and sports teams from time to time, but I also like to have some intelligent conversations, too, more so than I like to converse about trivial things. I don't always want to lower myself to other people's standards so I can connect with them. It makes me feel strange to do that. Anyone else agree here?

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I agree. This is why we have the PPR.

yes that's why I spend more time talking here than in real life.

The "PPR?"

I totally agree with you, I think deep and meaningful conversations would help people to connect, because that way they really get to know one another. If things did work like that it would be miles easier to make friends, instead of just making idle chit chat as for me it makes friend making a slow and confusing process because I don't even know how far the friendships going if it's just "how's the weather?".
Intelligent and philosophical conversations ftw.

"philosophy, politics and religion" part of the forums

I tried having an intellegent conversation with one of my aquaintenses in high school. Somewhere along the way I completley gave up. She would never take anything seriously, even when I was giving up my time and teaching her things.
It's really frustrating and depressing.

Maybe that's the problem? Maybe it's because once connected then it might happen to get involved while expecting nothing in return?

People want interaction but without the vulnerability that comes from truly connecting?

Just thoughts. Take 'em or leave 'em. Won't change my life.

Fortunately do have my wife and my parents to have good conversations with.

Yep, tell me about it. I looked hard for a man who would talk about ideas and feel so fortunate I found the right man to marry. We both enjoy going to C.S. Lewis book club meetings.

Most people don't have the focus to absorb subject matter that requires deep thought. They're monkeys, who exist to eat, fornicate and be entertained. Asking them to think just annoys them.

That's why it's such a rare delight to meet someone who actually does have something to say, and is interested in learning new things and bouncing ideas off another person. I'd rather have one friend like that, than a roomful of those monkey-folk.

Totally agree. I love talking about deep/philosophical/controversial stuff! I hate that no one else does. When a subject DOES come up , I perk up and start talking too much about it and it turns people off

I do agree that it would be easier (as someone else said) to connect with people if they would talk about things like this. It would be easier to find people you have things in common with that way...BUT, I don't think that's what NT's want in a friend, it seems. I think this need seems to be an autism thing. Many NT's I know have friends of all different political/religious/etc. opinions and they get along because they just don't talk about it. It seems they would rather have all kinds of friends around them that they don't really agree with on any deep subjects than to have a few good friends they can talk about ANYTHING with. They seem to even like to BRAG that their friendship circle is so diverse and yet they still get along. To me, all they're doing is bragging that they are fake around their friends. I don't want friends that I have to hide my views on serious things from. That would just be more social pretending that I don't need! If I have a friend, I should feel relaxed around them, not afraid of them finding things out.

I enjoy philosophical discussion but I don't have anyone to do that with anymore (I used to but...). It can be very enjoyable but I don't really like it in a text based form, I prefer it in spoken language because it's more of a free flow of ideas and going off on tangents thing. I have a tendency to drop into a philosophising mode of conversation with people which I have to try and control, I think it's called 'ruminating' or something, there is a term for this type of thing. clearly it's not appropriate in a great many situations, sigh.

Last edited by Postperson on 21 Jul 2009, 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I found one too....and lo-and-behold, he turned out to be an Aspie! LOL Maybe that's what I need to look for in friends too!

Yep... I hate it when I have no one to discuss intellectual things. I mean, all they talk about it rap and other trivial things. If it was about a talk about like a review of say Family Guy then I'll talk about it, but just talking about the latest episode... that's boring. I had a friend one who'll just talk about the latest episodes, and i almost shut down since I really don't care about the episodes. I want to know what makes the show as a whole good or what makes it bad. Same thing for celebreties. I don't care who's the hottest actor; it's not going to benefit me in life. Tell me about his acting. That's what I want to know about him, not his physical features. I don't want small talk; I want a debate.

Dude, that's the story of my childhood right there: discontent with trivial talk.

It get's a little better now that I'm in college. It's slightly easier to find people willing to talk about more profound or significant things.

I don't know. Most people are so boring.

My lack of intellectual stimulation from other people has gotten so bad that I've sunk into a deep depression. Nothing interests me enough these days. I can't even think as well as I used to.