[Lychee]

I've tried something like this myself, and found that it just doesn't work. I've never successfully expanded a conversation beyond the banal to anything of meaning with any new acquaintance. My only positive experiences are with people I've known for years.

I wish it didn't have to be that way. There is so much we can learn from each other but I can't help but feel people in general have become less trusting and too competitive, not cooperative.

I've also tried without success to move conversation topics towards something more meaningful with people but nothing seems to work. I think that asking people these questions overwhelms them. Perhaps they've never asked these kinds of questions to themselves before.

When you start asking questions which really probe deep, I find people recoil. Not in the sense that they find your questions inappropriate, but almost like they would never put themselves in a position to question themselves that deeply, and so just can't really deal with it.

I agree. I think because introverts spend so much time alone that we can't help but ask ourselves these questions so we are more comfortable with them than others. It's a relief to get away from the world where everything can become a distraction, pulling your mind in a million different directions leaving little or no time for anyone with their inner world.

I greatly enjoy answering and listening to these questions. How can it ever be a bore? Learning about someone's life, emotions, thoughts, etc. is fascinating and helps you to better understand yourself and others.

That's my issue too. A complete surrender of the ego would bring about a state of such uncaring, but I'm not there yet. I am worried about what people think, not because I worry over lost opinion, but simply because people have a hold over your life and where it can go. We are forever trapped, playing our roles, exhausting as they may be.

I guess in a way people do have a hold of your life, even at this stage where you still care what they think since we are bound by their opinions.

Do you think if even when/if we reach this level of uncaring or unconcern for other peoples' opinions that we'll somehow be safeguarded by their own beliefs? When I say safeguarded, I mean those individuals who may be dishonest towards you, or who may hurt you.

Maybe we are trapped playing our roles, but it's better that we are cognizant of our decision to play these roles rather than to be completely oblivious to what lies beyond these formalities.