--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Topics... are what people talk about when…" description: "\"Topics... are what people talk about when they don't know each other well. Topics... are what men talk about.\" — Patricia Gaffney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/patricia-gaffney-26123_knows_topics-are-what-people-talk-about-when-t_1377489.jpg" --- # Topics... are what people talk about when they don't know… ![“Topics... are what people talk about when they don't know each other well. Topics... are what men talk about.” quote by Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/patricia-gaffney-26123_knows_topics-are-what-people-talk-about-when-t_1377489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/patricia-gaffney-26123_knows_topics-are-what-people-talk-about-when-t_1377489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/patricia-gaffney-26123_knows_topics-are-what-people-talk-about-when-t_1377489.jpg) > “Topics... are what people talk about when they don't know each other well. Topics... are what men talk about.” [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conversation topics reveal how strangers avoid deep connection, often sticking to gendered small talk. **In simple terms:** People talk superficially when they don't know each other. Key Takeaway Seek deeper dialogue beyond surface topics. Themes communication gender social interaction Mood curious analytical Type social philosophical When to use this quote - networking events - first dates - team meetings Key Concepts sociology gender studies Questions to Reflect On - What deeper topics could you introduce? - How does gender shape casual conversation? A Different Perspective Surface topics can reinforce stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [One of the things that struck me about the 1870s, which we still haven't nearly addressed, is what to do about the male-female divide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/one-of-the-things-that-struck-me-about-the-1870s-which-we-still-haven/) [Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/) > [“There's so few things men can talk about. If a man doesn't like baseball, then he must like horses, and if he doesn't like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/there-s-so-few-things-men-can-talk-about-if-a-man-doesn-t-like/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I was so naive about writing, I went to the public library and checked out the only volume they had on the topic -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/i-was-so-naive-about-writing-i-went-to-the-public-library-and-checked/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [I like to have fulsome discussions on every topic. What happens if you lose this show? What would you do? We have to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-dauman/i-like-to-have-fulsome-discussions-on-every-topic-what-happens-if-you/) Philippe Dauman > [Immigration is a sensitive topic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-diaz-balart/immigration-is-a-sensitive-topic/) [Mario Diaz-Balart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-diaz-balart/) > [My hair is always a big topic. It is just hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-burrell/my-hair-is-always-a-big-topic-it-is-just-hair/) [Anne Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-burrell/) > [I'm interested in the origins of the religious experience, how the history of religion has evolved over the last umpteen thousand years, and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/i-m-interested-in-the-origins-of-the-religious-experience-how-the/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [If there's only one answer, then this must not be a very interesting topic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-jeffries/if-there-s-only-one-answer-then-this-must-not-be-a-very-interesting/) [Ron Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-jeffries/) > [If the topic be highly abstract, show its nature by concrete examples; if it be unfamiliar, make it figure as part of a story;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its-nature-by-concrete-examples/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Men talk abt killing time while time quietly kill them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bsk/men-talk-abt-killing-time-while-time-quietly-kill-them/) Bsk > [“These men are all talk. What we need is action—action!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brown/these-men-are-all-talk-what-we-need-is-action-action/) [John Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brown/) > [Men always talk about the most important things to perfect strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/men-always-talk-about-the-most-important-things-to-perfect-strangers/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“Once a certain degree of insight has been reached," said Wylie, "all men talk, when talk they must, the same tripe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/once-a-certain-degree-of-insight-has-been-reached-said-wylie-all-men/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“It’s funny, but when I talk about this business of my father and Valentina with my women friends, they’re absolutely appalled. They see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-lewycka/it-s-funny-but-when-i-talk-about-this-business-of-my-father-and/) [Marina Lewycka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-lewycka/) > [I pretty much just talk to and about men the way men talk to and about women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/i-pretty-much-just-talk-to-and-about-men-the-way-men-talk-to-and/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) ## More by Patricia Gaffney > [“I just tried to put myself in her place and figure out what would be the scariest thing. If I thought I might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/i-just-tried-to-put-myself-in-her-place-and-figure-out-what-would-be/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [You were the best thing in my life … I did love you. I do. As much as I’ve ever loved anyone, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/you-were-the-best-thing-in-my-life-i-did-love-you-i-do-as-much-as-i/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [“I was thinking in a Scottish brogue, because I'd just heard this guy interviewed on NPR, Lonnie McSomething.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/i-was-thinking-in-a-scottish-brogue-because-i-d-just-heard-this-guy/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [I often think my life would be a lot easier if I were a mute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/i-often-think-my-life-would-be-a-lot-easier-if-i-were-a-mute/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [“Isabel never despaired, even though I think she knew everything that was going to happen, right from the beginning. 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Fear usually held me back, that they wouldn't care, or they wouldn't hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/all-my-life-i-ve-wanted-to-tell-people-i-love-them-fear-usually-held/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [Misery alternates with euphoria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/misery-alternates-with-euphoria/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [“Fear kills. Protecting yourself backfires eventually. And living in fear of pain isn't really living at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gaffney/fear-kills-protecting-yourself-backfires-eventually-and-living-in/) [Patricia Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gaffney/) > [“What the hell is this stuff?" he muttered, frowning at the oily spot on the linen cloth. 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He who speaks does not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-knows-does-not-speak-he-who-speaks-does-not-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) Browse all 53,133 Knows quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Topics... are what people talk about when they don't know each other well. 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