(no subject)

[haggholm]

You have jet lag now? Goto asks brightly—following (Randy assumes) a script from an English textbook. He's a handsome guy with a winning smile. He's probably in his forties, though Nipponese people seem to have a whole different aging algorithm, so this might be way off.

No, Randy answers. Being a nerd, he answers such questions badly, succinctly, and truthfully. He knows that Goto essentially does not care whether Randy has jet lag or not. He is vaguely conscious that Avi, if he were here, would use Goto's question as it was intended—as an opening for cheery social batter.

—Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon

This is so very familiar to me; I didn't know it was in anyway widespread, or associated with nerds (how shuttered must my view be to have missed that?), but I do know that I have trouble with certain advanced social questions, like How are you?, How's it going?, and What's up?

…He answers such questions badly, succinctly, and truthfully. So very true and applicable.

Comments

[dark-wolf.livejournal.com]

I just read that book recently :) Good stuff. That said, I don't usually have that trouble, except for "What's up". I always feel like I'm being asked about what's new, I always feel like saying "Oh not much" but then I realize they just meant to say "hi" >.>