The social component

[Beat Mango]

I was watching Seinfeld the other day, and Elaine was telling Jerry how she doesn't like to talk to the cabbie when she gets a taxi. She says, "why does everything have to have a social component?"

I thought it was so funny and true. I'm somewhat certain that the things I enjoy most do not have a social component. I either want to be doing a task, or socialising. I don't want anything between - this unsettles me.

A cab ride I can take because it's no more than 30 minutes, but I can't imagine being for example a cop and being on beat patrol with another cop. You'd have to either get on with them socially, or the whole thing wouldn't work and it'd be awkward to the point of unsustainable.

AmIright?!

 

[Solitaire U.]

Over a month with no replies. Now, how did that make you feel? I mean, you came here to socialize, right?

Now I realize the atmosphere is different in a taxicab. Obviously, it's not your preferred 'comfort zone' of detached sociability. You're hiring a person to drive you somewhere, which means you're going to be sharing a small enclosed space with them for awhile. You have to tell the driver your destination and pay the fare, but other than that, you're under no obligation to do anything.

Some people simply prefer to occupy their cell phone or otherwise play with themselves in such a situation, but others appreciate being given the opportunity to chat during the trip, so the driver might consider it part of his job to at least ask "How are you?" and perhaps mention something about the weather, or traffic conditions, or something else blah blah. I'd consider Elaine to be somewhat of a stuck-up twat to bitch about something so basic. Christ, I can talk about the weather and be a million miles away in my mind.

But being in a squad car with your partner all day is totally different. This is not idle chat. You both have a job to do, and your lives depend upon being in sync with each other. You obviously wouldn't choose such an occupation if the social aspects were intimidating.

So it depends on what level of social interaction you're talking about. I think you're comparing apples to oranges.

Consider me the taxi driver. I don't like the idea of watching your post disappear into the ether of page 2 with 0 replies. Elaine would no doubt be butt-hurt if that happened to her, right? So there you go.

 

[BigApplePi]

Social component: Cases

@Beat Mango
@Solitaire U
I used the @ sign here as the last time, as Solitaire pointed out, the post got buried.

I was watching Seinfeld the other day, and Elaine was telling Jerry how she doesn't like to talk to the cabbie when she gets a taxi. She says, "why does everything have to have a social component?"

I would like to introduce the concept of the Case, often used in mathematical proofs. The case is where there is more than one possible distinct premise. They are the possible premises. So one lists them to answer the question.

Case I. My mind is occupied. It could be either theoretical physics or the MBTI or my personal life-strife.

Case II. My mind is occupied, say about politics or traffic but I need data to continue because my imagination is suffering.

Case III. I'm bored as my mind is empty.

Case I. Leave me alone. I don't want to be distracted. Cabbies in NYC know better than to talk to passengers unless spoken to. They listen to where you want to go and make no reply if they want to be polite and receive a reasonable tip.

Case II. I say something to the cabbie about traffic ... see what he thinks. If he gives an S response, I'll say something N and hope he will bite. Now I can continue my musings because the cabbie has given me data I lacked.

Case III. I'm desperate for company. I will say anything: "How's it going today?" "What's happening?" ... Anything to relieve my boredom and loneliness and make contact. I'll take anything he/she says and gain the warmth of human contact.

 

[Solitaire U.]

Re: Social component: Cases

"What's happening?"

Heh, if you say this to a Mexican cabbie, he'll probably respond with "Well, depends on what you're looking for. Drugs, prostitutes, or dog fights?"

 

[BigApplePi]

Re: Social component: Cases

Then I need to find meself a Mexican cabbie right quick.

 

[Beat Mango]

Interesting BaP but in Case 3, sometimes I am bored with an empty mind, yet still strangely either unable or unwilling to make contact and feel any warmth. Hence the disliking of the social component as a necessity.

 

[Rocco]

Interesting BaP but in Case 3, sometimes I am bored with an empty mind, yet still strangely either unable or unwilling to make contact and feel any warmth. Hence the disliking of the social component as a necessity.

Call that Case 4. Please note that there are an infinite possible number of cases.

I think the point was just that the state of mind you're in makes a difference in how receptive you are to conversation during a cab ride. (And by extrapolation, any activity that requires social interaction)

 

[BigApplePi]

Interesting BaP but in Case 3, sometimes I am bored with an empty mind, yet still strangely either unable or unwilling to make contact and feel any warmth. Hence the disliking of the social component as a necessity.

We have different moods. This is an INTP Forum, not a cabbie ride, but you made contact here.

 

[Beat Mango]

I wasnt trying to rebut the case! God, INTPs