I do have a large circle of friends and most of them are similar to me in a lot of ways. I also suffer from the absolute inability to cope with idiots. It is not that I am super intelligent and act snobbish.. it is just that if I can’t talk to someone at a certain level, then I get bored and it is the end.
When I meet someone new, the first thing I look for is (apart from their eyes). if they read. If they don’t,then they are not going to be my friends, because I have nothing to talk to them about. Then I look for if we read similar kinds of books. I don’t read Harry Potter/Twilight etc and I don’t mind if someone reads them..However there are books in my list that is a must read, I have asked almost every single person I met ( except one, who turned out to be an idiot) what do they think of Princess Maria’s eyes? ( war and peace).. and progressively my questions would go to WW2. I usually ask if they have heard about Bockscar? ( B-29, Kokura, Nagasaki, fat man are the answers I expect to hear)
I have never been on the receiving side of this sort of interrogation..that is until few years ago..
I was asked “have you ever seen the video of a polar bear attacking a penguin?”
“That is impossible”, I replied. ( One lives in the north pole and other in the south pole..so obviously it isn’t possible).. Apparently I passed the first level with flying colours 🙂
After few weeks, I was asked very casually ” What is special about Liechtenstein ( geographically)?”
” It is one of the two double landlocked countries in the world” ( Uzbekistan is the other one)
Since then we have been quizzing each other religiously.. and the good thing is.. I learn so much..
WOW, Sarah, You have now confirmed what my wife has always thought of me ?.
I could not answer one single question above . Therefore, I really feel too intimidated to send comments. However, I’ll continue to read and enjoy your posts ! Plus I learn a lot from doing so. Thanks, Sarah .
Paul: I am really an ordinary person.. I like trivia and have an uncanny ability to remember facts..I get along well with people who are like me
It’s definitely easier to make friends whom you are like minded with, but I think you can still make friends who don’t share your interests as there are other topics you can talk about.. I find myself getting interested into new hobbies and interests that I have never done before through people who are different from me. Plus even with differences, I’m sure there are other topics you can talk with them and can relate too even if you both don’t share the same interests. Example is my new roommate. We are complete opposites, have very few things to share in common. She is obsessed with athletics, does sports, work out at the gym frequently and is obsessed with fitness. I’m the least interested in it. but I always ask about certain things regarding to her passions and in a way it’s interesting to hear about it. Only thing we both enjoy is outdoor activities, like yesterday we went canoeing together. However there are topics that we often find where we can relate with each other such as family issues, and school related things and even though we just recently met, we are slowly becoming good friends. So I personally feel it can be done, if you are open to learning about other people and their interests, even if you personally not into it 🙂
And yea trivia is fun haha.
J1206: I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with people who don’t read. When I meet my friends, we talk about politics, world events, history etc. Someone who doesn’t read can’t make any worthwhile contribution to that sort of conversation. I prefer to have friends who read like me and trust me, there are plenty of them around.