This is very true. I knew a guy who only ate fast food, and he could not (or would not) eat at better restaurants. He simply did not like anything but the fast food hamburgers.
Is there anything you are really passionate about? Politics, religion, a TV show, genre of literature, charity, etc.?
I've found that it's easier to form faster relationships by being in a select "in-group" of people who are united around a cause. The downside to that is that if you change your views or become less passionate, the people may tend to isolate from you. Same thing for when you have friends from work. However, you can try to turn these more superficial friendships into more meaningful ones by talking about people's kids, dating life, childhood, etc. Once you talk about things that are more intimate, people will view you as a more intimate friend than you actually are. And remember you have to "give to get" - so talk about yourself and share details that push the boundary of your intimacy level (not in a creepy way). That will also make people feel that you have a closer relationship than you do and they will view you as a closer friend.
And read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for tips on talking to people more when you are with them.
This is pretty crazy. I'll continue to be "rude" then.
I've also learned to lower the armrest as soon as I sit down. If an overweight person sits next to you, it will be impossible to lower it and they will be taking up part of your seat.
That's very true. People are very averse to admitting that meat and dairy contribute negatively to their health, despite the many studies that show the contrary.
I can attest to this in the U.S. as well. I hang out with a pagan community that has a high percentage of people on food and cash assistance. They get so much money that they purchase holiday gifts with EBT (food stamps) and live almost solely on expensive branded snack food. Every person I've known on EBT has been gaming the system in some way - everything from getting roommates to sign off that rent is higher so they get more money and doing work under the table for cash and not reporting it, to wanting to get married but deciding not to because it would eliminate their benefits and turning down higher paying jobs because they know they need to keep low-wage, part-time jobs to keep benefits. Withdraw cash from a cash card to buy earrings, concert tickets and other luxuries - no problem! Until a couple years ago I didn't even know people were given debit cards with money on them from the government.
I had always thought that poor people bought generic products, had old TVs, couldn't afford cable, had old flip phones, etc. But it's the exact opposite. The poor people I know on welfare/assistance have much nicer things than the middle class people I know.
I believe that the system needs to be revised so only certain products can be purchased with government funds. It would help to keep the people using these services healthier as well.
