Kind of people a math physics person should date

[Lavabug]

at least from my experience, being a STEM major is not some type of social deficit.

IME, it has not helped (at best, neutral), particularly with those of my same age group, and especially with those with no college education. It generally stops the conversation dead in its tracks, despite doing my best to not dwell on it. I almost feel compelled to apologize, as if I had leprosy and forgot to let them know before shaking hands.

Of course this will vary tremendously across cultures, perhaps the people who I was around generally didn't value academics at all, so that's why I got the responses that I did.

 

[George Jones]

It generally stops the conversation dead in its tracks, despite doing my best to not dwell on it.

Then rapidly shift gears.

Ask about favourite movies, TV shows, music, novels, hobbies, stories in the news, ...

 

[jim hardy]

Socially inept ?

My theme song:

...
I told her that I was a flop with chics
I've been this way since 1956...the clovers

the people who I was around generally didn't value academics at all, so that's why I got the responses that I did.

Some are intimidated and defensive, some resentful and take the offense, but most make up their mind about you as the conversation develops. I always told people i was a maintenance man in a power plant which was true - if questioned i'd explain we had engineers in maintenance support role there.

I sometimes ask what stations are their car radio buttons set for. Gets them talking about their interests - good icebreaker.

I married an artist who was supporting herself working in a photo-lab. Her "people skills" are vastly superior to mine so it's a nice complement. She didn't question my maintenance man status until we'd been dating for months and she noticed the engineering books and sliderules laying around.

So to the subject of the thread -
i'd say we should search out people whose traits of competitiveness, generosity and kindness about match what we want our own to be.

 

[jmeps]

I would like to know how exactly we sound pathetic, as I personally do not see it. I see people who genuinely do not know what they should be looking for and people, who all all on a forum and hence share a big interest, giving them advice. Have you not ever asked a friend in real life the same sort of question? I know I have.

Perhaps pathetic is not the best choice of words. Sad/lost/insecure might fit the situation better. All we can draw from is our own life experiences and with a great deal of luck (the good kind) someone just happens to be in the best place possible to benefit from them. Which is why we share these forums. Not to pontificate or judge but to share what we have already learned with others who do not have the gift of experience. So we ask "dumb" questions and learn if we are not already predisposed to our own answer. Yes we all have one before asking.
To answer the original question, there are some people that are more flexible mentally than others. These are the people you should seek out and associate with. You may not like all of them but you will learn what you do and do not like about them. And you will find that it has nothing to do with what subject they studied in school.

 

[cragar]

@ jmeps : I like how you say some people are more mentally flexible, I guess I should try to find someone who is open minded and doesn't judge and is understanding. Because I am that way.
Thanks everyone for your posts.

 

[BobG]

mathematicians and physicist aren't different from other human beings.

I beg to differ

Could you expand on this statement?

Not really

This is so pathetic. I'll expand on it if you won't:

I b e g t o d i f f e r

Edit: I stand corrected. It's harder to expand on this than I thought. Multiple spaces simply get reduced to a single space, rendering the expanded version almost incomprehensible.

 

[AnTiFreeze3]

... So to the subject of the thread -
i'd say we should search out people whose traits of competitiveness, generosity and kindness about match what we want our own to be.

That basically summarizes my ideas on relationships. Well put.