Quality of Eavesdropping

When you’re in a new city or at a different school, what do you hear when you eavesdrop? Do you find it interesting?

If I walked the halls of my high school, I’d pick up on conversations about gossip, pop culture, or sports. Rarely, anything of substance.

When I visited San Francisco last week, I overheard folks talking about papers, ideas, and technology. Topics that are much more interesting to me.

The quality of eavesdropping is a subtle indicator of an environment. A quick litmus test to determine if this is the place for you is if you were interested in the conversations you overheard.