--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you meet someone for the first time…" description: "\"When you meet someone for the first time instead of asking them what they do, you should ask them what they've always wanted to do. This conversation w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg" --- # When you meet someone for the first time instead of asking… ![“When you meet someone for the first time instead of asking them what they do, you should ask them what they've always wanted to do. This conversation will be much more interesting.” quote by Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg) > “When you meet someone for the first time instead of asking them what they do, you should ask them what they've always wanted to do. This conversation will be much more interesting.” [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Instead of asking about occupation, ask about lifelong aspirations to spark deeper, more meaningful dialogue. **In simple terms:** Ask about dreams, not jobs. Key Takeaway Shift conversations toward purpose. Themes communication curiosity personal growth Mood inquisitive engaging Type conversational inspirational When to use this quote - networking events - first‑date talks - career coaching - mentorship sessions Key Concepts psychology meaning aspiration Questions to Reflect On - What questions reveal true passions? - How can you respect privacy while encouraging depth? A Different Perspective People may feel pressured to reveal personal goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Instead asking someone what to do.. ask ur heart first and do what it says..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-asking-someone-what-to-do-ask-ur-heart-first-and-do-what-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Instead of asking why... ask why not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-murgia/instead-of-asking-why-ask-why-not/) Megan Murgia > [Some men and women are inquisitive about everything, they are always asking, if they see any one with anything they ask what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/some-men-and-women-are-inquisitive-about-everything-they-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Conversation is interesting in proportion to the originality of the central ideas which serve as pivots and the fitness of the little facts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gilbert-hamerton/conversation-is-interesting-in-proportion-to-the-originality-of-the/) [Philip Gilbert Hamerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gilbert-hamerton/) > [“This divergence of experience was not a stumbling block to conversation; indeed, it was what made the conversation interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-david-lukas/this-divergence-of-experience-was-not-a-stumbling-block-to/) [Michael David Lukas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-david-lukas/) > [More people should learn to tell their dollars where to go instead of asking them where they went.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-babson/more-people-should-learn-to-tell-their-dollars-where-to-go-instead-of/) [Roger Babson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-babson/) > [I didn't get into film to win Academy Awards. I wanted to have a conversation with the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/i-didn-t-get-into-film-to-win-academy-awards-i-wanted-to-have-a/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [“But ask yourself this: Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/but-ask-yourself-this-have-you-ever-lost-someone-you-love-and-wanted/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“people threw around when they wanted the conversation to end, and for brains to go dead, and for all questioning to cease.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/people-threw-around-when-they-wanted-the-conversation-to-end-and-for/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [You cut your wrist, and hope to die. Everyday you get bullied, beatten by your parents and students, your unloved, your unwanted. Just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaile-stewart/you-cut-your-wrist-and-hope-to-die-everyday-you-get-bullied-beatten/) [Kaile Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaile-stewart/) > [“If you want my advice, Peter, you've made a mistake already. By asking me. By asking anyone. Never ask people. Not about your work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-you-want-my-advice-peter-you-ve-made-a-mistake-already-by-asking/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [When I met with Deepak Chopra, instead of asking him for something, I offered something. You can always think of things that are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/when-i-met-with-deepak-chopra-instead-of-asking-him-for-something-i/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [Maybe instead of asking political candidates to submit tax returns, we really should be asking to see their brain scans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/maybe-instead-of-asking-political-candidates-to-submit-tax-returns-we/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [“Instead of asking yourself how you can change that aspect of you, maybe you should be asking yourself why you were created that way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-a-bartol/instead-of-asking-yourself-how-you-can-change-that-aspect-of-you/) [Amy A. Bartol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-a-bartol/) > [ “Instead of asking ‘what problem should I solve?’ ask ‘what problem do I wish someone else would solve for me?’”\[cxxxi\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/instead-of-asking-what-problem-should-i-solve-ask-what-problem-do-i/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) ## More by Dallas Clayton > [“Instead they dream of furniture Of buying a new hat Of owning matching silverware Could you imagine that? Yes there are places in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/instead-they-dream-of-furniture-of-buying-a-new-hat-of-owning/) [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) > [Be a famous musician. Be a famous act or. Be a famous write r. Be a famous basketball player. Be famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/be-a-famous-musician-be-a-famous-act-or-be-a-famous-write-r-be-a/) [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) > [“The star made a wish while you were asleep, and she hopes you can make it come true. Because just like those times that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/the-star-made-a-wish-while-you-were-asleep-and-she-hopes-you-can-make/) [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) > [How can I ever repay you for what you've given me? A daily opportunity to change the world for the better simply by spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/how-can-i-ever-repay-you-for-what-you-ve-given-me-a-daily-opportunity/) [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) > [Cheers to the albums written fortunes earned lives touched in the millions and generations defined by one lonely person placing an ad in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/cheers-to-the-albums-written-fortunes-earned-lives-touched-in-the/) [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) > [Then once you've got that dream in mind please dream a million more and not a million quiet dreams, a million dreams that roar!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/then-once-you-ve-got-that-dream-in-mind-please-dream-a-million-more/) [Dallas Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) [Explore all 7 Dallas Clayton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you meet someone for the first time instead of asking them what they do, you should ask them what they've always wanted to do. This conversation will be much more interesting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dallas Clayton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time-instead-of-asking-them-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time-instead-of-asking-them-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/577/dallas-clayton-50912_asking_when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time_971611.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you meet someone for the first time instead of asking them what they do, you should ask them what…” — Dallas Clayton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dallas Clayton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-clayton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you meet someone for the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time-instead-of-asking-them-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-clayton/when-you-meet-someone-for-the-first-time-instead-of-asking-them-what/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```