# When people hear I'm a "blank", they immediately "blank" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015 "2008-02-02T20:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![8675309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ea5d25/32.png) [@8675309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8675309)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/101 "2008-02-06T00:58:31Z")
When people hear I am a teacher, they ask what grade. When I tell them I teach high school English, they go into a diatribe about how poorly behaved the youth of today is and ask how I can stand it. (I actually really like kids that age) ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/102 "2008-02-06T03:00:43Z")
[QUOTE=kalmia latifolia] if I tell people I study linguistics, they ask me how many languages I speak. [/QUOTE] Oh yes, when I was doing my BA Ling I got the same thing continually. The annoying thing was that I actually do speak several languages, so when I corrected them it sounded a bit hollow. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/103 "2008-02-06T04:13:31Z")
[QUOTE=8675309] When people hear I am a teacher, they ask what grade. When I tell them I teach high school English, they go into a diatribe about how poorly behaved the youth of today is and ask how I can stand it. (I actually really like kids that age) [/QUOTE] I do the opposite. I say “I could only teach high school… I have no patience with younger kids.” ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/104 "2008-02-06T04:32:10Z")
[QUOTE=lorene] Well, I never **do** actually say that…but I guess your answer is what I’d want if I did. I don’t at all think homeschoolers are weird, but I do know what you mean re:that reputation. [/QUOTE] Well, OK. Sure, you could homeschool if you really want to. It’s not easy or anything, but it doesn’t require superhuman abilities. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/105 "2008-02-06T10:54:46Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] Well, OK. Sure, you could homeschool if you really want to. It’s not easy or anything, but it doesn’t require superhuman abilities. 😉 [/QUOTE] Why, thank you! I hope my slight hijack didn’t irk you…I guess I just needed some ignorance fought and it seemed like a good time to have someone fight it. Oh, and…when people hear that I’m a runner, [many of them] immediately tell me that their knees could never handle running. (psssst, with properly fitted shoes, your knees shouldn’t bother you, and being overweight is far, far worse on your joints than running is). ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/106 "2008-02-06T14:41:10Z")
when people hear I’m a state employee, they immediately assume I’m lazy and have all kinds of vacation time. I do in fact have a lot of comp time that I’ve accrued, but was able to take less than 2 weeks vacation annually for the past couple of years. Some of us really do bust our asses on behalf of the taxpayers. ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/107 "2008-02-06T14:58:20Z")
1. When people hear I’m a flight instructor, the immediately ask if I’m a pilot. I guess they never put much thought into how pilots learn their trade. Or they assume it’s like those cliff-nesting birds that shove their young off into the air, and if they don’t figure it out they fall to their deaths? No, I totally do know how to fly, and I totally do _go up in the air with the students_. 1. When people hear I work for the space agency, they usually ask if I’m an astronaut. I’m not, but I like my job anyway 🙂 2. When people hear I’m from Canada, they frequently comment on how cold it must be, and, oddly enough, often mention -20°C as the sort of extreme temperature my hometown must sometimes experience. I normally point out that that, plus or minus five degrees, is a pretty typical temperature every day from December to March, with the ‘infrequent extreme’ closer to -40. And that I’m _not_ from the far north. This seems to convince a lot of people that Canada is about as habitable as Mars. 😃 (Put on a coat, people!) ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/108 "2008-02-06T16:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=Ol’Gaffer] Archaeologists don’t do dinosaurs. [/QUOTE] Only because they don’t have the moves. When people hear I lived in a jail as a kid they immediately compare me to Opie. FYI, the Taylors didn’t live at the jail. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/109 "2008-02-06T16:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] When people hear I’m a singer, they either ask me if I’ve auditioned for American Idol (“no, that’s not my style of music. Plus, American Idol is stupid”) or ask me to sing for them. What I don’t say: I’m not a performing monkey; or, alternatively: sure, that’ll be $250. [/QUOTE] I usually get the “oh, I wish I could sing, I’m awful, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, boy I’m glad you’ve never heard me in the shower, etc.” thing first… which always makes me uncomfortable because, hey, I’m not walking around looking for people to judge and lord over for thier lack of talent at what I do :dubious: I also usually just politely decline when people do the “oh, you just _must_ sing for us” thing at completely random and inappropriate times, but once I actually did say – to an accountant – “sure…if you’ll do my taxes.” ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/110 "2008-02-06T16:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=lorene] Why, thank you! I hope my slight hijack didn’t irk you…I guess I just needed some ignorance fought and it seemed like a good time to have someone fight it. Oh, and…when people hear that I’m a runner, [many of them] immediately tell me that their knees could never handle running. (psssst, with properly fitted shoes, your knees shouldn’t bother you, and being overweight is far, far worse on your joints than running is). [/QUOTE] Nah, I’m always happy to talk homeschooling. I suppose my knees could handle running, but I hate running. I walk. I have a mini-tramp that I bounce on, though, and it’s actually improved my knee–the right one was starting to ache sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/111 "2008-02-06T16:31:29Z")
When people hear that I’ve a veterinarian, they assume I’m a vegetarian. Not real surprising. them: “You eat meat?!” me: “Yup, I eat all the animals. Now please pass the hot wings.” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/112 "2008-02-06T17:01:23Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] Only because they don’t have the moves. When people hear I lived in a jail as a kid they immediately compare me to Opie. FYI, the Taylors didn’t live at the jail. [/QUOTE] So then you’re Barney! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/113 "2008-02-06T17:11:54Z")
When people hear I’m an English major, they will ask me if I’m going to teach high school. It’s slightly bothersome. When people hear I work from home, they assume I sleep all day and watch TV. I don’t, and because I’m a student, my work often is in little bits here and there and I’m on the road a lot. When people hear I work with computers from my home, they assume I will help them with their problems for free because I’m a nice guy (I guess). Brendon Small ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/114 "2008-02-06T17:33:51Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] So then you’re Barney! 😛 [/QUOTE] :mad: I ain’t no purple dinosaur! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/115 "2008-02-06T18:05:49Z")
When people hear I write computer manuals, they ask me about their PCs. I don’t write _those_ manuals. Unless you work in a warehouse or port or repair facility, you won’t have read one of my manuals. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/116 "2008-02-06T18:18:12Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] Only because they don’t have the moves. [/QUOTE] Actually, I think that it has more to do with the fact that we’re a bunch of surly drunken louts with bad hygiene and poor social skills - which I guess is, in a way, why we like working with dead folks so much. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/117 "2008-02-06T18:26:38Z")
[QUOTE=wolfstu] 3) When people hear I’m from Canada, they frequently comment on how cold it must be, and, oddly enough, often mention -20°C as the sort of extreme temperature my hometown must sometimes experience. I normally point out that that, plus or minus five degrees, is a pretty typical temperature every day from December to March, with the ‘infrequent extreme’ closer to -40. And that I’m _not_ from the far north. This seems to convince a lot of people that Canada is about as habitable as Mars. 😃 (Put on a coat, people!) [/QUOTE] Yay he’s back!! _huggle_ When I went to Spain, I got a lot of “You’re from Canada?? You must be burning up!” I pointed out that it was actually hotter that day in Montreal than in Madrid, so they wandered off or moved on to berating me about Celine Dion, for whom I am apparently personally responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/118 "2008-02-06T23:45:50Z")
What I’ve learned from this thread: When people hear me asking a question about their profession, they immediately hate me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Thorium\_Indium\_Potassium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Thorium\_Indium\_Potassium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thorium_Indium_Potassium)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/119 "2008-02-07T00:04:57Z")
When people hear I’m a clinical psychology intern, they immediately give me the side-eye and ask if I’ve been reading their minds. I tell them, no, I prefer to shrink minds, not read them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015/120 "2008-02-07T03:50:41Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] When I went to Spain, I got a lot of “You’re from Canada?? You must be burning up!” I pointed out that it was actually hotter that day in Montreal than in Madrid, so they wandered off or moved on to berating me about Celine Dion, for whom I am apparently personally responsible. [/QUOTE] Yeah, she really sucks! What’s up with that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-people-hear-im-a-blank-they-immediately-blank/436015.md?page=7)