This is my secret hobby, even though its considered rude. I think that something that you say in public, in a volume that is high enough to be heard by anyone around you is not only meant for your conversation partner, but also meant for the joy of the secret eavesdropper.

And, the word "eavesdrop" is one of my favourites in the english language.

Most of the things that I remember overhearing are in German and funny when taken out of context. But sometimes, I get into interesting conversations with people after I have listened to them for a while. Like during my last train ride where I heard two people talking about Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Now I am connected with them on Facebook and they are binging on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality - thanks flagamuffin .

What I find interesting is that, throughout the years I have been doing this, I did not have any complaint about the fact that I was actively listening to other people's conversations...

Are the people afraid to confront me? Or, do actually enjoy when an absolute stranger jumps in to correct their assumptions about medical processes?