Playing Favorites

A great conversation starter is asking someone what their favorite kind of thing is.

Perhaps it’s “what’s your favorite food?”, or “what’s your favorite movie?”, or “what’s your favorite Elvis song?”.

But I’ve noticed a certain percentage of people object to these questions.

They complain “it’s too hard to pick a definitive favorite”. Or “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it. I’d need to figure it out.”

And these people have missed out on some of the benefits & purposes of conversation.

“It’s about people getting to know you & interaction, rather than simply a straight acquiring of the facts.”

A conversation is not a school test. When someone asks you a question, you don’t need to immediately offer up the right answer.

Imagine it – “What’s your favorite movie?”, “Breakfast at Tiffanys. Next.” What a lame conversation.

If you don’t have a definitive favorite, discuss some possibilities you really like. The suggestions you make may not necessarily be your locked-in favorites, but they at least give people an idea of what you like. It’s about people getting to know you & interaction, rather than simply a straight acquiring of the facts.

If you have never thought about the question, think out loud. This teases out a much more interesting back & forth discussion. And that goes for all conversation starters, not just favorites. It becomes a process of discovery for both you & whoever asked the question.

When you next ask a favorite question and someone ducks it with excuses, you will now be able to prompt them into a conversation response.

Let’s talk.