Ask Me, Tell Me.

"I don't feel like I know myself, let alone the people I interview. I might actually know the people I interview better than I know myself."
-Errol Morris

I was on my high school's newspaper staff for two years and a lot of my articles consisted of doing a profile on athletes, teachers, unrecognized staff, and every day, run of the mill students. I got such a thrill from asking these people all different types of questions, mainly because I liked comparing their answers to mine. I would also play a game, of sorts, and guess what their answer would be. I like being on the asking side rather than the receiving side because I like hearing, listening, and understanding others. It's really hard for me to talk about myself since, like Morris, I feel like I don't know myself. So it is just easier to shut up and understand others. My points don't come out as clearly as I want them to or people just don't understand, so instead of boasting of my odd thought process and "out there" ideas, I just take in everyone else's stories.

It is really fun though, when the person starts to weave lies. Truthfully, in all of my articles I wrote, I wouldn't doubt it if the people lied about half of what they told me. "What are your hobbies?" Of course they won't say drinking and smoking weed in friends' apartments or other risque things like that. Instead they will settle with a calm, mature response of "I play chess and volunteer with local homeless shelters." Bull. But whatever. To me, that just pieces together their persona and identity. Famous people, I'm sure have done this, too. They hide certain facts that would be detrimental to their career even though the paparazzi contradicts what they say with photo proof. Like I said, it just builds their characters.

So I play little games while interviewing which is why I like it so much. But it can almost feel like you are walking in a mine field when being interviewed.

"I assumed answering questions would be easier than asking them. This proved completely untrue. The process of being interviewed is much more stressful than the process of interrogating someone. If you make a mistake while you're interviewing someone else, there is no penalty (beyond the fact that it will be harder to write a complete story). But if you make a mistake while being interviewed-- if you admit something you'd prefer to keep secret, or if you flippantly answer a legitimately serious question, or if you thoughtlessly disparage a peer you barely know, or if you answer the phone while on drugs-- that mistake will inevitably become the focus of what is written."

I think it is human nature to want to share ideas and stories, but I will do that when I am talking to a stranger I will never meet again and who will not record anything or do anything that could damage my reputation. I'll stick to talking to strangers without trading names or information and just talk, or tell everything to the people I trust. Safety is in numbers but secrets are safer alone.