Week 1: Discusion#1

1. How do you usually start a conversation?

I am simple and straightforward person so in every conversation I have, I first determine the purpose of the conversation or why I want to talk to someone. It is usually just to get or give something from the one I am conversing with but sometimes, I use it as a means of social interaction. If the purpose of the conversation is to ask or get something from the other person, I usually start by bluntly stating what I need but there are also some times that I start from stating the situation that I am having a problem with then ask for help. If I want to give something, and it is usually just positive comments and compliments or assistance with a certain task, I also just directly say it then continue the conversation with a positive and supportive manner. When I just want to interact with someone, I usually start with a random fact, a corny joke, or a silly pick-up line then progress in a friendly tone and manner.

2. Give a specific problem that you encountered during a conversation and how did you address it?

I am not the most mature person among my friends and I do not handle serious and sensitive emotions very well. During a serious and an emotional conversation with my friends, I felt a bit uneasy and uncomfortable with the current mood of the conversation we are having. Being the silly person that I am, I told a joke related to the sensitive topic in order to lighten up everyone but it did not go as I suspected. I did not really address it however, the conversation ended pretty well since they did not really mind my foolishness. From there, I learned to be a bit more sensitive during those personal kinds of conversations.

3. Recall an instance where you engaged in a conversation with a topic that you are not comfortable with? What is the topic and how did you manage it?

There was this one time where my family was having a conversation about sex and genders and it started with the fact that my mom was pointing out that I am lazy and unreliable. She then opened up and stated points about how a man should always be able to provide for the family. Given that in our current time, we are aware that there could be two man or woman in a couple and with this, my sister quickly responded about why can't the woman be the reliable one. I then told them about why can't the two of them be both reliable. My mom just shifted topics but I was contented on how I and my sister handled the conversation.