What would be your first reaction if someone approached you on the bus holding the same book you are reading? Would you strike up a conversation? What would you say?
This happened to a Reddit user, and they were a bit “stuck,” and now they are not sure if what they did was right.
A Man With Great Taste
The original poster made a post on the “Books” subreddit, wanting to know how other people would have explored their social skills if they were in her shoes.
OP was sitting on the bus reading a book when a guy showed up in front of her, smiling widely and showing her the same book.
OP says she was thrilled and thought to herself how the guy had good taste in books. I mean, if someone is into the same things as you, it is only natural for you to think that they have great taste.
OP just gave him a thumbs-up, which was followed by an awkward silence. Nobody was saying where they were reading the book, who their favorite characters were, or what they loved about the book. Isn’t one of the benefits of reading being able to talk about the books you like to read?
OP couldn’t help but wonder whether she should have engaged in some small talk. She wanted to start a conversation, but she couldn’t bring herself to.
To her, reading the same book is not enough ground to start a conversation with a stranger.
What would you have done if someone approached you reading the same book as you?
What Redditors Would Have Done
I understand we all have different social skills. In such situations, some people would be glad to start a conversation. They would even sustain it easily. However, others would not know what to say.
Here is what Redditors had to say, “I would at least smile. If we were on a bus together, I might ask questions like “How are you enjoying it?” If it gets awkward or I don’t know what to say, I could always say, “Well, I’ll get back to reading now.”
Many other Redditors agreed with the comment above. They thought, “Well, I’ll get back to reading now” which is a graceful and pleasant way to end a conversation.
Another commenter says they have no problem starting a conversation or sustaining it. Their problem was politely ending a conversation when they should be going, “There’s a kid at my college who’ll talk to me, and sometimes I’m there for 30 minutes because I can’t figure out how to get out of there. Even though I’m a grown-**s adult, I’m too polite/shy to respect my time, lol. I’m so ashamed.”
Other people would rather not be interrupted while reading their books. One commenter said, “I’d never interrupt them, but if there were an opportune moment when they were looking up, I might lift mine to show them and give a friendly nod. What happens next would depend on how open they seem to conversation.”
Another commenter replied to the comment above, saying, “I’d never either because I would hate being interrupted myself. I’d also acknowledge with a nod (of approval) but be super excited and pleased (someone else has fine taste in literature as me) internally.”
What would you have done if someone approached you reading the same book as you? Would you rather they try to hold a conversation, or would you rather not get interrupted?
This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
