Hi, I’m Vivek Bhookya. I’ve had my fair share of experiences, a handful of failures, and an alright amount of successes. Passions of mine include writing, Yu-Gi-Oh, and interacting with others. Understanding the world, and the behaviors of those who reside in it, is a series of thoughts which consume the majority of my time. The presence of one particular gesture I have trouble understanding is the need for formalities.
“Hi, I’m… I’m in the 12th grade… I like… My friends call me…”
When engaging in particular activities, such as having to make an important decision, context can be helpful for gaining an understanding of your situation. A preconceived notion can be the difference between a happy story, or an unpleasant memory. In the context of meeting new people, however,
Preconceived notions can limit the potential to understand the other person.
Physical characteristics, personal opinion, secondhand knowledge of the other person passed by mouth, these qualities and more may either encourage or discourage your desire to explore other personalities. Shared interests, common hobbies, favorite colors, these attributes and more can encourage the formation of a new relationship, a new bond. The lack of mutuality, the absence of similarity, having no desire to meet another is as common as having the desire to meet another. The inspiration to seek understandings of other beings is almost always necessary to begin an interaction, and these interactions are almost always necessary to begin to understand whom it is one may deal with. Sadly, these interactions are sometimes only
Superficial.
“Hi! Good morning! I like your outfit! How is your family doing, do you have any plans for the holidays? Say, it was nice catching up with you, but I have to go! Goodbye!”
A small conversation may seem to adequately maintain or develop a relationship. A small conversation is only good for pleasure in the present. In a series of questions as above, not much is learned about the other individual, except the conditions of his or her current life. Information about a family was shared, a compliment was given, the participants in this conversation may have left this exchange with positive feelings.
“It was nice catching up with Firstname Lastname today. S/He really had an interest in my affairs, I’m glad s/he cares about me, what a good friend!”
In my experience, a conversation of this pattern is what is made as a gesture, a sign of association, a formality.
These formalities don’t represent one’s true intentions. These formalities don’t provide much of a window into one’s experiences. These formalities are simply reminders of a relationship, acting in the same manner as a filler scene in a television show.
That’s just my opinion, though. There is no right or wrong to the usage or presence of formal behaviors, and I won’t enforce the understanding of anything. My experiences have led me to form these conclusions, and my experiences are what I would like to share with you all through this blog.
Bonafide Grade Hustlers 