A heads-up on over-sharing with hostel roommates

Mentioned my freelance gig to a fellow traveler and got hit up for 'investment' ideas daily. Now I stick to weather and travel talk with new acquaintances.

3 comments

3 Comments

jasont381mo ago

It's that shift when a friendly chat turns into a sales pitch. You mention writing as a hobby and suddenly everyone has a book idea for you. Tell someone you work in tech and the app proposals start. It turns a real connection into a transaction, where you're just a tool for their next thing. Casual talk dies because they're just waiting to ask for something.

charlesm111mo ago

Look at it from the other side though. That person with the book idea might have been carrying it for years and finally met someone they think could help. It's not always a sales pitch, sometimes it's just excitement. I've had friends ask me for tech advice on dumb app ideas, but they're just sharing a dream. If you shut that down completely, you might miss a real chance to help someone take a first step. The transaction feeling only happens if you assume bad faith from the start.

kelly_green201mo ago

Figure out if the daily pitches were the worst part or if something else about that interaction really bugged you. Sometimes the annoyance runs deeper than just getting asked for stuff. Was it the feeling they only valued your wallet?

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