“What Do You Do?” This is usually the first question we ask strangers. We’ve been conditioned to do so by society. At the surface, it seems like a reasonable question, something nice, simple, harmless to ask the other party just in hopes of finding something in common to talk about.

…But, it’s a question I always hate hearing. And, if you’re the entrepreneurial type like me, you likely have similar feelings as me toward that dry, boring question used often to open up the flow of small-talk between you and a stranger.

It’s yet another attempt of the world to fit us all neatly into categories or molds, and define us with labels and titles.

…For me, and perhaps you as well, it’s like trying to cage a wild animal. How could I possibly tell you everything that “I do” in one breath?

Now, the majority of people, living their lives asleep, going through their day-to-day routines of drudgery, will answer back with some boring, cookie-cutter line it seems they’ve rehearsed a thousand times, like “I am an director of finance,” “I am the assistant regional manager,” or “I am THE senior vice president of who gives a crap.”

Wow, awesome, good job, I’m happy for you…but that means jack squat to me.

When I hear the question, “What do you do?”, my mind races with all the things I do throughout any given day, and the passions I have that I chase after relentlessly…THAT is what life’s about anyway, living a life of experiences, helping others, impacting lives, and pursuing your passions.

Not Only Is It A Stupid Question…It’s Also A Dangerous Question

Joshua Fields Millburn, of The Minimalists, posits that what we’re asking when we make that broad, worn out inquiry is really a malefic, pernicious question:

How do you earn a paycheck? How much money do you make? What is your socioeconomic status? And based on that status, where do I fall on the socioeconomic ladder compared to you? Am I a rung above you? Below you? How should I judge you? Are you worth my time?

How You Can Change The World, One “What Do You Do” At A Time…

But as Millburn also points out, there is a better way to answer this common inquiry than by just giving in to the mediocrity and answering with the tired old “I’m a senior financial analyst” or what not.

The next time somebody asks what you do, go against the grain and don’t give them your job title. Instead, tell them something you are passionate about, something you love to do, and then throw it back into their court by asking what they’re passionate about…

“What do you do?” asks the random guy at the party.

to which you reply, “I’m passionate about helping impact lives by freeing people from their poverty mindsets that hold them back from success and a dream life,” along with, “What are you passionate about?”

They may respond with what they’re passionate about and the conversation could take off in a great direction. Or they may reply with their job title, to which you could say, “That’s great…so you’re passionate about your job title?”

But…

…I can guarantee you almost everyone will give you a blank stare.

Why? Because they’ve been beaten into submission by society to fit their life into a box and a simple one-line title, leaving behind creativity, originality, and independence. But not everyone, I see a change happening with younger people like myself. We see the old system is broken, and we have a feeling deep within that there’s a better way.

And that better way is creating a life you live on your own terms, by following your passions, providing value to people centered around that passion…independently, on your own, using the Internet and systems, I can teach you how to build a business online that can provide you the life of your dreams (with some hard work).

You see, back when I had job titles, saying them to people didn’t make me feel bigger, it didn’t fulfill me…what did was sharing my passions with people…and that’s exactly what I found made the biggest difference in the world around me as well.

So, when someone asks you what you do, forget answering with some stale rehearsed title, and replace it with what they’re actually asking you…what you DO…it’s a VERB, so tell them what you actually love doing!

…And you’ll end up learning quite a bit more about each other than just some stupid job title.