To not have a fun fact about me?

[Whatsforyouwontpassyouby]

I’ve just started a new job and they want me to do me to do introductory video for our newsletter.

They want me to add in a fun fact but I don’t have anything!

'I enjoy being double-fisted of a Friday eve'

Mine is that Eamonn Holmes gave me a signed photo in Ballymena Poundstretcher!

I think you should definitely use this one and report back 😁

One of the things I really like about the quiz show Only Connect is the daft “fun facts” about the contestants, because they’re usually obscure and fascinating, but weird and they never go into further detail.

eg: Michael Cannon, a French and History graduate who once hosted Angela Lansbury’s 90th birthday party, which was not attended by Angela Lansbury.”

captain Jonathan Elliott, a scout leader who while wearing his uniform, was once mistaken for a member of the Hitler Youth.

Andrew Burford, a Black Country ombudsman who once ate his own height in sandwiches. From radio times website

'My fun fact is not appropriate for this kind of video'

Say, im sleeping with my best mates dad!

that was genuinely said in a ice breaker I attended which was “tell us a secret”

best training I’ve ever been to

"My house was once on Location, Location, Location and they slagged off my bedroom curtains."

"I can't eat Jelly Babies any more, since my friend's daughter told me all their names and personalities".

"I was the first customer in <insert name of local shopping centre> when it opened."

"I turned down an invitation to go to church with the queen when I was at a private party in Windsor"

I have used this many times (it's actually true) and you're welcome to borrow it.

Wah! I've never been asked.
I would say

• I don't have a bum hole (stoma) and I've only got one tit. That would have them rolling in the aisles. OR
• I was in a punk band when I was 16/17 in 1976/77.

Both true! By coincidence I'm watching Painkiller on Netflix right now and the main character has just been asked for a fun fact about herself. She said "I don't have one".

But but but... it's not about having something 'fun' to say. It's about giving your new colleagues conversational threads so they can have chat with you more easily without looking for conversation openers.

Works best if you give a little context so there are a few options.

"I enjoy going to gigs at xyz venue. I've been going since I moved from home town to new town recently/10 years ago/whatever. I try to see someone new every t duration. The most memorable ones might have been act 1 or act 2."

Gives loads of directions for conversation and ways to find common interests. You can say much less than that, of course, but you'll find something!

Ice breakers are often cheesy, but there's usually a benefit - even if it's the shared experience of hating them!

Just tell them you lost your virginity to a ghost named Bartholomew or something

The Bill?

It's 2023!

Christ on a bicycle.

Someone doing her job made a mistake, owned up to it, apologised to you directly and learned from the experience - and you're still calling her 'a stupid cow' and gloating over your 'victory' over her online.

Fun fact: you didn't come out of this story as the winner.

“I’m taking one for the team and won’t be engaging in ‘boring lies’. We all know no one has ever used that profile as a conversation starter over a Teams virtual coffee.

You’re welcome”.

Have you met a celebrity?, anything funny happen on a holiday?

God these things make my blood run cold. Not all of us want to play into this 'wacky fun' shite, we just want to do our job. Some people are genuinely anxious at stuff like this, something extroverts don't seem to understand.

Surely you could just introduce yourself to your colleagues when you actually meet them rather than a cringey introductory video - I think I'd fucking quit if I was asked to do that!

I wouldn't do this. Not ever.

I'd happily do an in-person intro in any format or a 'non-fun' recording.

But this would be cringey & not me. I'm sociable & quite open to chatting about personal stuff but not like this.

It's not even about extroverts.

I'm pretty much an extrovert but I don't like it. I don't feel anxious, just inauthentic. It isn't my work style, and I simply wouldn't do it.

Occasionally it's been somewhat of a thing as an icebreaker. I just do my standard intro but not the fun / personal bit.

I actually do have a really fun fact, like it's a conversation starter and I only ever pull it out for new people or when I think people I soo drunk they have forgotten I already told them. For work- fuck that. It's wasted .

" when I was a waitress I served - put in a celeb. Niche sporting hero? So you don't get any follow ups?

This is my standard response to work bollocks

I hate this shit. I just choose something vanilla. I love baking (i dont) / horse riding (again nope) / shopping… some other bs

I’d go with something inane like

I share my birthday with [celebrity]
My favourite Ben & Jerry’s/crisp flavour is [x]
I don’t like onions/mushrooms/other commonly eaten food

List all the celebrities that you share a birthday with.

Say that you’re related to someone really famous and then explain that basically everyone’s related to everyone because we share 90% of our DNA with monkeys and 50% with bananas.

Fair enough, I guess I just assumed that extroverts would be more comfortable with it.
I think the video format makes it so much worse....it's out there forever 😱

Say that you’re related to someone really famous and then explain that basically everyone’s related to everyone because we share 90% of our DNA with monkeys and 50% with bananas.

I might actually walk out if someone said this.

I'd certainly 🙄

I was bitten by a squirrel once....it wasn't very fun!