I have my own entry in the "excruciating interactions with non-philosophers category." It's less succinct and more confusing than the ones recently posted on leiter's page. I'm sitting in the coffee shop, which is packed, and a stranger asks if she can share my table. Fifteen minutes later, I finish the chapter of Articulating Reasons, and put it down. She asks what it was.
...Her: Yeah, I was just telling my friend that I took some philosophy in college, but I'm in the sciences, so I didn't get along with the professor.
I'm too baffled to say much of anything, so forced conversation continues (xkcd describes my conversational skills).
...Me: yeah, my brother did biology at Duke.
Her: Do you two see eye-to-eye?
Me: yeah..
Her (as if she's surprised): That's nice.
My brother: not declaring war on his obnoxious little brother the philosopher since 2002. Once a year, I give thanks for his astonishing toleration.
