from philosophy bites:
A young man, having asked a young lady on a date, was naturally nervous. He decided to consult his father concerning what he should do to fill those moments of awkward silence.
His father, ready with an answer, said: “Son, when it comes to conversation, all there is to talk about comes down to the three Fs: Food, Family, and Filosophy. Just remember the three Fs and you should have plenty to talk about.”
The night of the date came and so did the inevitable moment of awkward silence. Recalling his father’s advice, the young man decided to ask a question about food.
“Mary, do you like asparagus?”
“No,” she replied. “I don’t really care for it.”
With his question about food not having provided enough material for conversation, he turned to ask her a question about family.
“Mary, do you have a brother?”
“No,” she replied. “I don’t have a brother.”
Still determined to kick-start a conversation, he asked her another question.
“Mary, if you had a brother, would he like asparagus?”