Why do we judge others based on Occupation or Profession?

@melonkali,

melonkali;105428 wrote:

Since over 80% of the people I've known did NOT work in the careers they'd hoped or trained for, and since one's occupation does seem to be the #1 question asked of people in our society, it might be a good idea for us average joes and jills to have a ready answer, something vague, absurd, convoluted, incredibly dull, or perhaps even hinting at infamy -- as long as it puts a damper on further questioning,eh?

I have a few ideas, but I'd be interested in hearing others:
"Government Security";
"Bank accountant";
"Private Investigator";
"Police undercover agent";
"Coordinator in the Witness Protection Program";
"mortician"';
"pawn shop broker";
"assault weapons specialist"
"substitute teacher (pick your field: limitless possibilities) while working on your novel".

Any other ideas?
rebecca

There are people where that strategy would never work because they are curious or full of grace. For example, if one answered "bank accountant" then the reply would include his thoughts on the current financial crisis.

"Private investigator" would start me asking a lot of questions because I find that field fascinating. When I find out that he's been yankin' my chain, then that would start off a whole new slew of questions.

I find every person curious. I'm just annoying that way.:whistling:

@Aedes,

Aedes;105495 wrote:

Dude, it was just a screening test. How can I narrow 300 people I don't know down to 10 people I don't know and then ask one of them out? That's how. Set up some criteria. That was one of several criteria. Not necessarily foolproof, but it made the selection process a lot quicker and a lot higher yield.

Ha, when I read this, it sounds like you were picking out these people for some sort of clinical trial and not for a date. But if it worked for you, then that's great.

@Aedes,

Aedes;103328 wrote:

No single variable, including one's job, can define someone, and the problem is that people make assumptions based on occupation.

This is an excellent point and I want to thank you for making it.

Asking people what they do for a living is a very American thing and it doesn't happen in many other countries. For example, in the former USSR it's considered extremely rude to ask someone what they do for a living. Same thing in Japan.

I think that most Americans lack any sense of personal identity and, therefore, take their identity from their occupation.

It's a question I get asked a lot at formal dinner parties and I usually respond, "I clean toilets for a living" and watch the reaction of the person who asked the question. If they are instantly repulsed - based on this alone - I know that I'm dealing with a very shallow person and don't waste any more time with them. If they shrug it off, then I give them another chance.

-ITL-

@Pangloss,

Pangloss;105526 wrote:

Ha, when I read this, it sounds like you were picking out these people for some sort of clinical trial and not for a date. But if it worked for you, then that's great.

My wife went to Brown, Yale, and Harvard, but the fact that she loves Star Wars and international travel was why we had a second date (and ultimately why we just had our 5th anniversary and are expecting our second child).

---------- Post added 11-24-2009 at 01:19 PM ----------

IntoTheLight;105529 wrote:

Asking people what they do for a living is a very American thing and it doesn't happen in many other countries. For example, in the former USSR it's considered extremely rude to ask someone what they do for a living. Same thing in Japan.

I disagree -- I've been to 6 continents and over 20 countries, including Russia and Japan, and it's one of the most common questions I've gotten anywhere I've gone.

@Aedes,

Aedes;105630 wrote:

--------- Post added 11-24-2009 at 01:19 PM ----------

I disagree -- I've been to 6 continents and over 20 countries, including Russia and Japan, and it's one of the most common questions I've gotten anywhere I've gone.

Hmmm.. That's odd. I've been to Moscow five times and both Tokyo and Osaka several times and nobody has ever asked me that.

Of course, I was also completely naked and holding a gun....

J/K!!! -- Seriously, I've never been asked that before in either place.

-ITL-

@xris,

It's just a natural question. A socially adept person who is meeting a new person is generally going to want conversation to relate to the person they've just met, right? What you do, where you're from, and what kind of family you've got are about as basic questions as you can ask of a new acquaintance to try and spur on a conversation, at least at first.

@salima,

salima;105491 wrote:

my daddy used to tell people he clipped coupons. i asked him what that meant, but now i dont remember what he said, except that it was something to do with the depression days...(it didnt mean clipping discoiunt coupons out of the newspaper)

That is something to do with stocks and bonds, in order to collect dividends....

@xris,

Evolution has made us to do so, is always a convenient answer.

@platorepublic,

platorepublic;167219 wrote:

Evolution has made us to do so, is always a convenient answer.

If all we need is an excuse, then we are all covered... Excuses are for losers...No one ever asks a winner what made him a winner... We all presume it is an excellence of character...

@Fido,

Fido;167233 wrote:

If all we need is an excuse, then we are all covered... Excuses are for losers...No one ever asks a winner what made him a winner... We all presume it is an excellence of character...

What exactly are you saying?

Nothing in your post makes sense to me:

- if all we need is an excuse, then we are all covered... (??)
- excuses are for losers (??)
- No one ever asks a winner what made him a winner (??)
- We all presume it is an excellence of character... (??)

I am such a loser. Razz

@platorepublic,

platorepublic;167262 wrote:

What exactly are you saying?

Nothing in your post makes sense to me:

- if all we need is an excuse, then we are all covered... (??)
- excuses are for losers (??)
- No one ever asks a winner what made him a winner (??)
- We all presume it is an excellence of character... (??)

I am such a loser.

Evolution is an excuse.. Instinct is an excuse, and even reflex is an excuse... Excuses are like essholes... everyone has one an no one likes anyone else's, except those who love them... Since I was sort of agreeing with you, you might want to try to understand what i was getting at...Or are you one of those people who disagrees with even those who agree with you???

@Fido,

Fido;167338 wrote:

Evolution is an excuse.. Instinct is an excuse, and even reflex is an excuse... Excuses are like essholes... everyone has one an no one likes anyone else's, except those who love them... Since I was sort of agreeing with you, you might want to try to understand what i was getting at...Or are you one of those people who disagrees with even those who agree with you???

Evolution are like essholes? Instinct are like essholes?

Don't even start on agreeing with each other. Let's start with understanding each other first.

The capitalistic system of the United States gives the hard working and intelligent individuals to pursue their true potential. If one does not have the intelligence or drive then it won't happen (unless their family is really rich).

Humans has an inherent premesis for adapting a pecking order, heird from our prehistorical time of being animals. It will manifest itself in various ways differing with culture, some express themselves in cloth, children, herd animals, cars, houses ..etc.

@xris,

Because people make assumptions. It's a basic feature of human life; we make judgments on whether people are safe or not, yada yada yada. People assume that if you're a doctor, you must be a very smart and professional man/woman. If you're, say, a garbage man, they assume you dropped out of high school and needed a job without a degree so you could raise your kids. It's wrong, it's bad, and it's inevitable.

@Fido,

Tsk. Did you just say Evolution was an excuse?

Totally judging you right now.

i remember a book from eighth grade reading, we read the Little Prince. in it, the writer, (who's name i unfortunately forgot) said that if adults were told that a house had a yellow facade with lots of flowers and a cheerful little walk by it, they'd say "oh. what a nice house." but if told that that house is worth 300000 dollars, they would say "wow! what a pretty house!" such is the way of today.

@IntoTheLight,

The better GOD leads that particular someone, the worst has to be expected.

@Nduraz,

Nduraz wrote:

The better GOD leads that particular someone, the worst has to be expected.

sorry, but i dont understand. what does that have to do with this? but seriously, this is a good saying.

@xris,

..because we evaluate their creativeness, intelligence, relevance and rationallity.

In days of old you had to work hard for a living lazy unproductive people didn't produce anything useful why they were scorned, by not contributing to survival.

Our low rationallity doesn't allow us to see potential in various things, why only very intelligent people can see potential.

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Why do we judge others based on Occupation or Profession?

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