When and How to Talk of One's Self : Page 213

Until we know people's background well enough to feel safe in telling them our philosophy of life, our opinions and ideas, the third type of talk about self is in place. We have given it the name of personalia. This includes those things about ourself which, while they reveal our personalities, are yet impersonal and indifferent enough not to seem private or confessional. People come together to know each other better. Therefore, if no one said anything about himself, the meeting would fail in the first purpose of conversation. Each has to contribute a bit of himself to the mutual self-knowledge. Happily there are thousands of interesting but "safe" things about ourselves we can tell people. The only precaution needed is not to