I intend this question not as a matter of judging a person as a person but of evaluating one as your own companion. Imagine yourself spending a great deal of time with this person. Which quality would bother you more? Would the nature of the subject upon which you are agreeing or disagreeing greatly affect your response? What scenarios, real or hypothetical, does this bring to mind for you?
Feel free to respond to any of these questions below, and for those with blogs who wish to address this topic that way, link here to your post.
It would probably bother me if someone agreed with me on everything. I'm not a great conversationalist and that could go nowehere fast. Of course being silent in good company is golden.
ReplyDeleteInteresting questions. I'll think about it!
Sprink - I agree. ;)
ReplyDeletePart of what inspired this question was my thoughts about whose company we usually seek. While I wouldn't make this an absolute rule, I think it's safe to say that people frequently seek out categorical groups in order to associate with others with similar tastes and experiences. But often those categories (or at least as I have considered them so far) imply "conclusions" rather than "processes."
For example, I know more readily what religious or political affiliations my friends and acquaintances have, but for fewer of them do I know how they came to those views. Ditto to things as simple as books they have read, music they listen to, and places they like to go on vacation.
Is it perhaps that the "why" and "how" of such things are more of a follow-up than a leading question? It's easier to begin with, "What's your favorite movie?" than "Why do you prefer your favorite movie?" and likewise "What religion, if any, do you practice?" than "How did you come to your beliefs?"