# What are the bizarre things people say to you when you tell them what you do for a living? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735 "2012-08-17T01:38:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/101 "2012-08-19T00:45:46Z")
> [@lisacurl](#): > > I’m in my last semester of a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, working full-time as an intern in a community counseling agency. > > “Oh, I don’t believe in therapy” is probably my personal favorite. I had a landlady once who was a Ph.D candidate in psychology. Once she told me “I don’t believe in therapy. You don’t get anything out of it. It’s just sitting around talking about your feelings, and that’s why you should have friends.” It was amazing how many levels I was offended on all at once. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/102 "2012-08-19T00:57:30Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Huh… so that’s the kind of stuff “biomedical engineering” makes, I always assumed from the name that it was the super-class of things like mechanical implants (i.e. hearing aids, pacemakers), prosthetics, etc. Not stuff like heart monitors, anesthesia machines etc. They do both. Biomedical engineering is a very broad field. I’d _like_ to get more into the actual engineering aspect of it and out of the technician side of it, but that’s pretty much never going to happen .☹ ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/103 "2012-08-19T06:52:33Z")
VIDEO: Broca’s aphasia: [https://mustelid.physiol.ox.ac.uk/drupal/?q=brocas\_aphasia](https://mustelid.physiol.ox.ac.uk/drupal/?q=brocas_aphasia) Wernicke’s aphasia: [https://mustelid.physiol.ox.ac.uk/drupal/?q=wernicke\_aphasia](https://mustelid.physiol.ox.ac.uk/drupal/?q=wernicke_aphasia) Of course, nothing is ever clear-cut but these are the classic videos used to demonstrate the conditions. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/104 "2012-08-19T07:20:53Z")
Thanks for the videos. Haven’t seen the first Broca’s one. There are lots of aphasias, usually involving losing any combination of 1) production 2) comprehension and 3) repetition. I would take conduction aphasia if I could: speech and comprehension are mostly normal, you just can’t repeat things back if someone just said it. Hardly limiting, would just make your wedding or getting a government job harder. It involves damage to one of the connections (white matter) between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas. The brain is weird. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/105 "2012-08-19T07:51:18Z")
I teach English (as a foreign language) at the high school level. The most common thing people say to me is some variation of “Better you than me ha ha!”/“Oh, I couldn’t do that. How can you stand them?” More bizarre things are those which tell me the person hasn’t been inside a classroom in years. From time to time, for instance, someone will ask if it isn’t hard for me, as an American, to insist on proper, by which they mean British, English. It’s been a long time, thank goodness, since the Norwegian school system insisted that the only English that was acceptable was an attempt to imitate a BBC announcer. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/106 "2012-08-19T11:39:01Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > “Oh, hey, let me ask you something…” followed by a question about, in order of frequency: **rashes/eczema** , heart conditions, **Mom’s medications** , bum knees, asthma, urinary tract infections, bowel movements or This Weird Thing I Noticed Last Week. > > I should carry assessment forms with me. And billing invoices. > > (nurse) The rashes and the medications, definitely. And yes, the Weird Thing. I just say over and over “I am not allowed to prescribe or diagnose. If a cold compress doesn’t make it go away, then see a doctor. And please wash your hands with soap and water.” I am so over hearing about the Weird Thing. Or bowel movements.\* Or surgery. (I probably do have helpful advice but I have found that the people who ask usually have other agendas.) When I worked with strictly Alzheimers and Demential patients I got the “oh it takes a special kind of person to do your job” speech. Now I work mostly in tertiary mental health and I try not to discuss my work at all. It feels mean spirited to discuss with an outsider and I don’t have nurse friends here yet. Oh, I know my favourite mental health question. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen?” and “A friend of mind sometimes (thinks/says/does whatever.) Am I…I mean is she CRAZY?”) \*Don’t get me wrong, I love shit-stories as much as any other freak errr nurse. I just don’t want to hear _yours_. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/107 "2012-08-19T13:01:40Z")
Very interesting thread. I’ve enjoyed reading these responses. Whenever I tell people I’m a social worker, the number one response I get is ‘‘God bless you.’’ Then I try to explain that I do development and strategic planning, and they tell me all about their niece who is a clinical social worker. The world needs clinical social workers and after a highly unpleasant two-month stint as a caseworker I have a vastly different understanding of what that means - but\* that’s not what I do\*. I design and raise funding for organizational programs. People really have a hard time grasping this. My Dad still doesn’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/108 "2012-08-19T13:40:59Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Very interesting thread. I’ve enjoyed reading these responses. > > Whenever I tell people I’m a social worker, the number one response I get is ‘‘God bless you.’’ Then I try to explain that I do development and strategic planning, and they tell me all about their niece who is a clinical social worker. The world needs clinical social workers and after a highly unpleasant two-month stint as a caseworker I have a vastly different understanding of what that means - but\* that’s not what I do\*. I design and raise funding for organizational programs. People really have a hard time grasping this. My Dad still doesn’t get it. Can you help my mother get funding for her wheelchair? Can you help my neighbour get her kids back, and apply for disability? I kid, I kid. I had said for years that if I could no longer work as a nurse I would do social work. But after realizing I hate, Hate HATE talking to people about money as in mine, yours, specific amounts I swore off that field. Now I just looked up what you do, it is awesome… and I could do THAT. If I couldn’t be a nurse. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/109 "2012-08-19T13:48:38Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > (when talking to Korean people) “I’m an English teacher.” > > “Really? How can I improve my English without having to study everyday? I don’t have time to study, but I really want to be good at English.” (:dubious:) Replace Korean with Japanese and this is me. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/110 "2012-08-19T13:49:30Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > Now I just looked up what you do, it is awesome… and I could do THAT. If I couldn’t be a nurse. It is awesome. I just started my career in development three weeks ago and I am on cloud 9. I went to school specifically to do this job, but even I didn’t realize how much I loved it until I actually started doing it. Loving what you do for a living is the most wonderful feeling. I feel like this is where I belong. (I also find the money thing intimidating, but I’m learning…) ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/111 "2012-08-19T15:56:38Z")
As a writer my whole life people have been telling me, “we should write a book together! With all my stories and your writing, we’ll make a fantastic team!” Uh, yeah, your story may be interesting in a bar when you’ve got a few in you but believe me it’s not all that unique. Not to mention I know next to nothing about book publishing. The above mostly happened when I was a newspaper reporter or edtior. For the last 20+ years I’ve worked as a writer at a public television station. 1. No, I do not know Big Bird 2. No, I cannot get you a free DVD of whatever Masterpiece/Nova/Barney episode you missed 3. No, I am not on television ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/112 "2012-08-19T16:12:33Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > It is awesome. I just started my career in development three weeks ago and I am on cloud 9. I went to school specifically to do this job, but even I didn’t realize how much I loved it until I actually started doing it. Loving what you do for a living is the most wonderful feeling. I feel like this is where I belong. > > (I also find the money thing intimidating, but I’m learning…) See I can do things where I ask for money… as long as it is not discussing your specific (or worse my specific) income levels, budgets, etc. Part of my hubby’s business is fundraising for non profits by producing shows etc. What gives me the itchies is talking to our clinical social worker at work about who has a comfort fund, who gets which benefits due to being part of what first nations Band, who has pensions, who has only 3 dollars a day income because the rest of her government funding is clawed back to pay for being in the care of the Crown.. etc. By the end of the conversation I was almost having a panic attack. (I don’t even have panic attacks.) But I can call a credit union and ask them to sponsor a table at a major fundraiser. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/113 "2012-08-19T16:17:27Z")
SWMBO and I both teach Taekwondo. And we are both really, really tired of the “Oh, don’t hit me” or “Better not mess with you” responses when people find that out. It wasn’t funny the first time, and that was 20 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/114 "2012-08-20T16:32:31Z")
> [@mengvs](#): > > Upon reflection, I think it’s mostly the delivery. Usually that question is accompanied by guffaws of laughter or the wink-wink-nudge-nudge that’s meant to signal sexual innuendo. That, and I’ve always wondered whether they’re expecting an answer other than, “Yes.” See, most people have this social affliction where they feel like they have to respond. So when you tell them what you do, they have to try to say something relevant, and usually that means the wittiest thing they can think of on the spot. Of course that’s hampered by the facts that (a) most people really aren’t all that witty, and (b) thinking up things on the spot is not a talent most people have. So what you get is a million people saying the same stupid line that is the most obvious and ridiculous thing. So there may not be any implication of sexual attraction to animals, just that obvious “you must really like animals to deal with them all the time” kinda thing. Especially since most people’s experience with someone wanting to be a veterinarian is a kid who likes animals wants to be a vet. Ergo, obvious connection. Repeat ad nauseum. The trick is to come up with some witty line you can reply that makes you happy but doesn’t come off as rude. “Why are you getting so upset?” ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/115 "2012-08-20T18:39:43Z")
Freelance copyeditor. (1) “Can’t they just run spell check”? Why, yes “they” can. I’ve been a complete fraud for the past 17 years. (2) “I see typos in the newspaper all the time. I bet I could do that!” I bet you couldn’t. (3) “I’d better be careful with my grammar around you, hyuk hyuk!” Yes, because I’m a complete douche and have nothing better to do in my free time than to nitpick other people’s language and completely alienate them to boot. ---
**Author:** ![newsbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@newsbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newsbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/116 "2012-08-20T18:52:08Z")
I am a journalist. I get yelled at for everyone other alleged journalist’s mistake ever. I also work in radio. I get yelled at for every asshole conservative talk show host being being an asshole. “But I do news, you see,” I say. I also teach alleged journalism. I get yelled at for every bad teacher out there. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/117 "2012-08-20T19:34:24Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Yes, because I’m a complete douche and have nothing better to do in my free time than to nitpick other people’s language and completely alienate them to boot. Hey, that’s my excuse! > [@newsbunny](#): > > I also teach alleged journalism. Alleged journalism? ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/118 "2012-08-20T20:38:04Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > This is my favorite description of Tai Chi ever. Yeah, it always gets a laugh from new students. It’s the consonance that makes it work well. Before a real pharmacologist weighs in, though, I do realize that Quaaludes don’t physically slow users down. But, while “Wu-shu in the water” is more accurate, the term is less familiar to people and then requires an explanation of “Wu-shu” and that kills the fun moment. —G! I got a name and I got a number, I got a line on you And I got a name and I got a number, I got a job to do . --Phil Collins (Genesis) . Just a job to do . Genesis ---
**Author:** ![newsbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@newsbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newsbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/119 "2012-08-20T23:03:13Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Hey, that’s my excuse! > > Alleged journalism? Yes. I tell them, you realize you’ll be working overnights at a White Hen pantry for the first five years of your career, right? And working two days a week as journalist. (like I did) Hence, you shall be an alleged journalist. That usually weeds out the ones who think they’re going to anchoring the Evening News right away. ---
**Author:** ![ddaug4uf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@ddaug4uf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddaug4uf)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735/120 "2012-08-22T14:55:30Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Programmer here and I get the same thing. The really dumb ones are the questions about hardware problems. People hear the word computer and expect you to know every thing about every computer every where. Ditto. I have family that introduce me as “Dan, he works with computers”. I used to try to help people out when they asked. What I found, however, is that 90% of the time, the person’s PC was almost unusable because of all the malware/spyware on the machine. I would take the time to clean it up, suggest alternative browsing practices and some software to limit the amount. Inevitably, 60 days later, the same person would be right back where they were when they asked me the first time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-bizarre-things-people-say-to-you-when-you-tell-them-what-you-do-for-a-living/631735.md?page=7)