My personal journey of self-improvement has been great and I wouldn't give it up for anything, but I have ran into a problem that I'm not sure how to overcome. Philosophy has ruined my appetite for the trivial. I am finding it hard to relate to others who only seem interested in talking about completely unimportant topics.
Recently, I was out with a group that my wife had put together. It started out well enough, but then the other men in the group started talking about sports, and I mean every statistic of every player of every sport at every level. While they talked, I kept thinking to myself over and over "who fucking cares?!" I mean, seriously, what is the appeal of memorizing tons of information like this? I just had to sit and listen to them go on and on, unable to contribute to the conversation since I wasn't lucky enough to have wasted countless hours learning this useless info like the other guys had.
When it finally sounded like they were ready to change the subject, they discovered that they play the same online video game. Then it was all about quests, strategies, how many virtual gold coins they've collected, even the color of the clothes of their virtual characters. I was, once again, excluded from the conversation because it revolved around topics that I could care less about.
When I attempt to steer the conversation to topics that not so inconsequential, I'm either met with resistance or ignored. I understand that, especially at a party, people don't want to be dragged down into a long deep conversation, but is there any other alternative than to start spewing trite sound bites? It seems evident that in group social settings, unless I am willing to partake in the latest celebrity gossip or some other pathetically shallow subject, I'm doomed to be labeled as the boring buzzkill of the party.
Has anyone been successful in a social setting where they didn't have to resort to baa'ing like the other sheep? If so, what sorts of things did you talk about? Any other useful tips would also be appreciated. Thanks.
