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One Way To Avoid Boring Conversations Is By Banning Absolutes
Absolutes stall a conversation quicker than a boring movie with a concert playing next door.
When you use an absolute statement, answer, or question, it makes the conversation difficult. You: “Did you have fun?” Them: “Yes.” And now you enter the conversation cemetery. The conversation is dead.
Instead of absolutes:
Make it easy for the other person to answer.
But not too easy.
A yes, or no is an absolute. When you make it easy for the other person to converse with you, it fuels the conversation. People become more engaged and interested in topics they can easily talk about.
Just imagine you love everything politics, and I asked you, “That debate last night was an odd one, what do you feel X could have done better to really lock up the win?” The topic may spark an emotion within you and set you on a tangent. Now, if I asked you, “Did you watch Desperate Housewives last night?” You’re likely to reply with an absolute “No.”
You can make the other party comfortable by making it easy for them to answer.
