# Talking to strangers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117 "2015-03-03T18:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/1 "2015-03-03T18:58:58Z")
I recently saw a thread here where a new poster got right into his personnal life on his very first post. Several dopers pointed out the inapproriate or oddness of this. It got me to thinking about conversations I have had with strangers over the years that I never exchanged names with or would ever likley cross pathes with again. ``` I find myself slightly less inhibited and tend to lower my walls and weaken my boudaries. I tend to have tight boundaries with personnal friends I never cross or allow to be crossed. I find something refreshing about not being concerned about ones opinion or judgement. I don't rememeber ever walking away and thinking I wished I would not have said something. Your experience?? ``` ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/2 "2015-03-03T19:00:03Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I recently saw a thread here where a new poster got right into his personnal life on his very first post. Several dopers pointed out the inapproriate or oddness of this. > > It got me to thinking about conversations I have had with strangers over the years that I never exchanged names with or would ever likley cross pathes with again. > > ``` > I find myself slightly less inhibited and tend to lower my walls and weaken my boudaries. I tend to have tight boundaries with personnal friends I never cross or allow to be crossed. I find something refreshing about not being concerned about ones opinion or judgement. I don't rememeber ever walking away and thinking I wished I would not have said something. Your experience?? > > ``` I usually avoid talking with people I don’t know unless I have a reason to. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/3 "2015-03-03T19:02:32Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I recently saw a thread here where a new poster got right into his personnal life on his very first post. You’ve been around long enough to know this is a regular occurrence, and that some large number of such ultra-long, ultra-personal, wayTMI first posts are never followed by a second from that poster. The cynical could wonder about these posters’ intent. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/4 "2015-03-03T19:02:33Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > I usually avoid talking with people I don’t know unless I have a reason to. I’ve spent much of my adult life talking to strangers for a living, so it doesn’t bug me. But sometimes I’m astonished at what they’ll tell me. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/5 "2015-03-03T19:10:05Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’ve spent much of my adult life talking to strangers for a living, so it doesn’t bug me. But sometimes I’m astonished at what they’ll tell me. I owned a carpet and drapery store for many years, I spent a lot of time in private homes mostly dealing with women. A least once a week I would walk out of the house shaking my head just amazed at what people will tell a stranger. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/6 "2015-03-03T19:14:05Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > You’ve been around long enough to know this is a regular occurrence, and that some large number of such ultra-long, ultra-personal, wayTMI first posts are never followed by a second from that poster. > > The cynical could wonder about these posters’ intent. The cynical could also wonder if it’s just the same person many times. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-to-strangers/714117/7 "2015-03-03T19:15:30Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I owned a carpet and drapery store for many years, I spent a lot of time in private homes mostly dealing with women. A least once a week I would walk out of the house shaking my head just amazed at what people will tell a stranger. Did you ever find out if the carpet matched the drapes? But seriously, I bet you gained their trust by being an expert on something that was so important to them.