Reflexive conversation.
People ask and answer a lot of questions out of habit. I call this “reflexive conversation” because given the question, the answer is assumed. These types of questions don’t even have to enter the brain very far for the answer to come out. For example:
“How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
These exchanges are relatively harmless and allow people to communicate a general idea without having to think. For the most part, people like to avoid thinking as much as possible. Or maybe that’s just me.
Conversing without listening.
Photo credit: makeameme.org
But sometimes a person answers a question without listening to it, and the person who asked the question doesn’t listen to the answer.
“Is that okay with you?”
“No, go ahead.”
“Do you mind if I come?”
“Sure.”
Despite the disconnect between the question and the answer, these exchanges rarely result in confusion. The general idea is conveyed by the tone of voice and the answer the person asking the question anticipates.
However…
…this works only when both parties guess correctly.
It is not a good technique to use when conversing with one’s significant other.
