I pride myself on not having a favorite this or a most hated that, but I have to admit that the thing I hate to hear the most is "what do you do in your spare time?"
It makes me defensive. Why do you care? Are you really listening? Would you like to join me in a "spare time activity?"
It makes me feel ashamed. I don't like to do anything in my spare time. Rather I like to do nothing in my spare time. Rather, I like to sit around, watch TV, eat food, drink alcohol and wax nostalgic in my spare time. So you can see why I don't want to share this information with people, because what I like to do is be private. That would be a rude answer, however, so over the years of antisocialism, I've come up with a few "hobbies" to feed the people who get off on that sort of thing.
For the fill in the blank "what are your hobbies", I give them:
cooking, reading, writing, riding horses.For those "ice-breaker-what-are-your-hobbies" nosy people, I give them: socializing, traveling, cooking, reading.
It's such a cliche question to break the ice with. I always lie, and I do it because that's my chance to forge their opinion of me. I can make them think I'm anyone I want just by telling them what I want them to hear, or what I know they want to hear. So elementary.
My method of getting to know someone is to ask them what TV show they like best. I find it's a better indicator of their personality.
Shows like
In the Heat of the Night mean walk away. OC? Walk away. Simpsons? Now we have a conversation.
I've just come to realize that not everyone can be as great as me and my close circle of friends and accepted family, and while tolerance should be practiced, I'm not gonna preach it. I say divide and conquer.