Over the past few months, I, as well as a few of my closest friends have come to a major conclusion. If you are involved in Greek Life, you may have heard of the commonly discussed topic of the “Five B’s” all pertaining to the five categories that one should not mention with someone in a conversation.
It is important that we, as humans, realize our social boundaries on topics that should not be discussed within a conversation with someone you just met, someone you may not be very close with, and general discussions within groups of people. This idea of the “Five B’s” include Barack (politics), Bible (religion), Bucks (financial state), Boys (relationships), and Booze (alcohol.) By avoiding these five simple, yet distinct topics of conversation one can be sure not to offend anyone, even unintentionally.
Politics
Living in the 21st century and surviving under the current presidency means that the topic of politics can get very heated in a matter of seconds. This can be fixed by simply avoiding the topic of politics, including but not limited to politicians, political offices, political issues, etc. The politics of the United States of America receive enough attention from the media on a daily basis.
In a normal conversation with someone, there is no need to mention your hatred for Trump nor your personal beliefs on National Healthcare.
Religion
The United States of America is considered to be “One Nation Under God,” according to our pledge of allegiance. As our country has rapidly grown there have been many different religious groups and church denominations that have made their new home in our land. Freedom of Religion is also stated in the Amendments of our country.
Therefore, no matter what the person you may be conversing with believes there is absolutely no reason to bring that up in the topic of conversation. Your beliefs are your personal beliefs, and you should not impose them on someone else, nor is it necessary to bring it up as a topic of conversation.
Financial State
Alright, this is a HUGE one. With the population of our world reaching nearly 7.5 billion people there are a number of different social classes, lifestyles, difference in incomes and such within each and every city and state, just in the United States. One should never bring up the financial state of that person regardless of prior knowledge.
There is absolutely no reason to label someone as “wealthy,” “unfortunate,” or “fair to middling.” It is absurd to label anyone as anything related to their financial stability. It is important to keep in mind that the type of person each individual may be is NOT a reflection of their financial state. One should never, ever, ever bring up the topic of money in a conversation. It is incredibly overstepping and even considered rude in most cases.
Relationships
Again, we live in the 21st century. One cannot expect everyone to be in a perfect relationship, or to even be interested in someone else no matter their gender. To stay on the safe side, it is best not to mention relationships with other people. When in a conversation, one should genuinely be engaged in strictly that person, or group of people, not thinking about the lives they live outside of the setting.
Alcohol
When meeting new people, or even conversing with those you may have recognized from a previous engagement, the topic of alcohol is not socially acceptable to bring up. Whether or not this person or group of people may be of drinking age it is never acceptable to talk about one’s drinking habits. There are a few exceptions to this rule; depending on the setting of the conversation, and the social atmosphere, this topic may or may not be acceptable. Use good judgment, and KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE before speaking about this matter!
As stated above, all of these rules have exceptions. If any of these topics have been discussed before with these folks you may be conversing with, THEN you are in the safe zone for considering these sensitive topics. By avoiding these delicate topics, one is sure to be known as considerate and will be able to appreciate individuals for who they truly are!
