AIBU to think it’s rude to ask no questions?

[PestoPastaLife]

We just got back from visiting an older relative - older, but not “elderly” ie still working, active social life, fully compos mentis etc, but I mention older in case it’s a generational thing. Anyway, in the course of three hours he asked only one question “how are you?” and otherwise I had to make all the effort to sustain the conversation.

It made me think about a few other times over the years when I’ve met someone who has asked me no questions and I end up wondering why the conversation feels like an interview and/or why they find me so incredibly dull they can’t be bothered to ask anything!

Now I’m wondering whether some people regard asking questions as rude in principle? But in that case, does a conversation just become two people making polite statements about themselves (which I ended up doing a few times today)?

YANBU: good conversation involves two people asking each other questions
YABU: silence is golden, stop interrogating people

Fair enough. I agree that a conversstion that flows naturally is best, though this thread is really about those situations where conversation is not flowing - or flowing very forcibly in one direction like a water cannon.

In the post of yours I replied to, you asked why anyone would assume their conversational partner had been on holiday, seemingly not clocking that there was an inferred context, in the post you quoted, of an ongoing conversation on the general theme of holidays.

You seemed to be suggesting it was impossible to know which questions might be relevant or appropriate in a conversation, and that therefore the only rational thing was to avoid them altogether.

This suggested to me a difficulty with social context. 🤷‍♀️ But that was an assumption on my part.

FWIW I love a bit of inane prattle to pass the time, if my co-prattler is good at making it fun and lively - and this takes considerable skill and social nuance. Inane prattle with no humour or joie de vivre I can take or leave.

Wow, that is such a fascinating question, obviously we can’t all learn all the skills because there isn’t enough time. But I think we can improve a skill with practice and focus - I’m thinking of how terrible a singer I am but with tips from my FIL I have improved to poor, but it sounds like you have something else in mind. Tell me more!”