banality

I don't much like banality. Talk to me about your new drapes in your living room or that new car you just bought and my eyes will tend to glaze over. Instead tell me something about what makes you tick, your life philosophy or political stance and why you espouse it.

Over our lifetimes we tend to wear masks and learn to understand how to behave in certain settings. We come to comprehend that being overly honest sometimes earns unwanted attention and so we often shelter behind the banal.

As a child I began to recognize which people were truly themselves and possessed a certain depth. I found them more interesting because they had nothing to prove and so could impress simply with their earnestness.