Hi. My name is _______.

I am a ________.


When someone asks you, “What do you do?” We, me included, usually reply, “I am a … (the most boring way to introduce yourself).”

We often think that’s what people are interested in. Honestly, after meeting strangers at various events, classes and get-togethers, we don’t care what people do in their day job. We care about what they do in their free time.

Do you ever ask your friend, how’s your work coming along? (Okay, maybe sometimes.) But I believe more often, we are interested in stuff they do when they’re done with work. Sports, their love life, their new friends, the new game that’s coming up or maybe a new movie that they just caught. Work = Boring.


Yet, work seems to be the first thing that comes to mind. If you enjoy it, that’s wonderful. But from what I gather, most people don’t entirely enjoy work. And that’s okay.

Look. You spend 7.7 hours a day on average working. Done with work, you let your hair down and relax a little. But damn, when someone you don’t know talks to you, you play safe and talk about boring stuff they don’t give a shit about. (Unless your work involves saving the world of some sort or maybe you’re a secret ninja.)

It’s time to rethink how we introduce ourselves.

The next time you say hi to a stranger, remember this. He doesn’t care what you do during the 7.7 hours in the cubicle.

He cares about what you do for fun.

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