"interesting" friends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I felt like that sometimes when I lived here but now that we moved away I am missing the conversations/local subject matter experts. I mean, everyone in the country knows POTUS is an idiot and calls him such but DC people were so technically correct, calm and considerate in how they reasoned such an observation.

Correct, calm and considerate? The local egomaniacs are the most unhinged Trump haters of them all

+1000

Calm and considerate went out the window during the election, here and in many parts of the country, and haven't been seen since.

[Anonymous]

I used to be quite interested in politics and current events but talking about it burned me out and now I rarely ever talk about politics other than with my father and one other person. Because we three can have a rational discussion about politics.

Most people who talk about politics are actually rather boring. They always take the exact same stance and are utterly unwilling to acknowledge virtues of different viewpoints and wield their views like the sword of Damocles.

And, to be frank, what's the point. There's nothing you can do about whatever you're upset about in politics. Why get worked up and upset over something you can't control or happened. Life goes on. It always does.

When I'm with friends we mainly talk about art, local events, local government scandals, travel, books, movies, pets, mild gossip over friends and neighbors and old acquaintances, and of course, the weather. I used to sneer at these topics when I was an ideological 20 year old college kid but now I find them much more interesting than abstract arguments over politics.

[Anonymous]

I love living in DC. It's the general nerdery that keeps me here. I remember going to see the panel discussion with Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg a few years ago at GWU. I was really excited about it and thought it was so special to see...one of those things that's rarely replicated.

Right after that, I went to a bachelorette party in my home town for a friend. I mentioned how cool it was to go to that lecture and every one of my friends were like..."who are they?" These are all college educated professional women, but they just don't care about the members of the Supreme Court. They have many great qualities, but keeping up with non-entertainment current events is not among them. That's the difference in DC.

[Anonymous]

I've quit talking about politics in the past 2 years or so -- and i used to be a junkie. (i excitedly called a BFF when i saw then solicitor general ted olson in a restaurant and desiree rogers on the shuttle. i was BAD.) now I just tell people i really rather talk about the real housewives b/c i honestly do find their lives more interesting now.

[Anonymous]

I've found 100 times over that the most socially popular people in my NW DC neighborhood and my kids' schools aren't the smartest or the ones with the most interesting jobs. They're warm and funny and many have the "it" factor that draw people in.
And almost no one talks about politics. I can't tell you the last time I've been at a social event and heard someone mention anything political.

[Anonymous]

I know it's probably an antiquated notion, especially for DC, but I've always felt it's rude to discuss politics. But, it happens. It's just so deeply ingrained in life here that is seems to always come up.

Like OP, I find it refreshing to talk about almost anything else.

[Anonymous]

I have both types of friends. And some friends who are simultaneously very intellectual but can also talk about stupid pop culture, and that's the best kind of friend.

Last week I got into a bit of an argument with a friend, and as we were apologizing to each other, I pointed out that at least our argument was very highbrow, and we could at least be proud of that. We were arguing over the privatization of prisons, and the ethics behind that. Only in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an Ivy-educated executive, as are many of my friends. We literally never talk about politics. I’m not sure why that would make people interesting.

Yes to this. The people who tend to talk politics are not interesting. And as a PP said, it's not polite. People who manage to broach that topic, despite social niceties, are the most boring people of all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love living in DC. It's the general nerdery that keeps me here. I remember going to see the panel discussion with Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg a few years ago at GWU. I was really excited about it and thought it was so special to see...one of those things that's rarely replicated.

Right after that, I went to a bachelorette party in my home town for a friend. I mentioned how cool it was to go to that lecture and every one of my friends were like..."who are they?" These are all college educated professional women, but they just don't care about the members of the Supreme Court. They have many great qualities, but keeping up with non-entertainment current events is not among them. That's the difference in DC.

Yes, this is my experience. I do get tired of politics talk in this town, but I need intellectual stimulation, like current state of affairs in this world, what's going on with Brexit, etc. Whenever I go back to my hometown, the conversation revolves around fashion, pop culture, kids. That's pretty much it.