Do you get offended when someone asks you what you do for a living?

So I started corresponding with an Australian penpal last summer. In my last letter to her around xmas, I asked her what she does because I’m interested in getting to know what she likes. She wrote back and told me she hates when people ask her that question because it means they are trying to find out how much money she makes.

That absolutely was not why I asked!

I’m so put off by her remark that I’m having second thoughts about continuing to correspond with her. If she didn’t want to answer she shouldn’t have said anythin

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SW-User

I haven't had that experience, where they are offended. And you're right, it's not the reason you ask. When you meet someone in person... often how to get to know another person starts with the context of how you meet them. But in chat... much of that is lost... so you go to basic things. Where do you live? What do you do? Family? Things you like?.... etc.

Of course... I have to cover up the fact... that... I'm a SuperDuperTopSecretWayDeepUndercoverSecretAgent....

Lol... just kidding... 🙃😉 ... and the correspondent before me is correct. They have the choice to politely defer, and not be weird about it.