Posted by sam123 on August 23, 2007, at 22:23:19
In reply to Why is asking about hobbies uncivil? » Dr. Bob, posted by zazenducke on August 20, 2007, at 8:30:47
In some contexts asking if someone has any hobbies
can be a veiled put down. Asking someone who really has nothing going on in their life would only draw attention to the obvious and no one likes to be reminded they are a loser. "Don't you have any hobbies ?" can be a veiled way of saying "don't you have anything better to do ?"I have not read the post that caused this PBC.
I would say if you honestly want to know about someones hobbies asking that would be civil.
It is possible to use any phrase in ways that have different meanings. Most of this is done by tone of voice, facial expression, or other non-verbal
communication. All of which is lost in a medium such as an internet board or an e-mail.
poster:sam123
thread:777282
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20070817/msgs/778215.html