Honestly, it depends, for me.
Sometimes, if I’m talking to someone and I want to get to know them better, because maybe they’re elderly or from a different culture, or I am interested in something about them, I can ask a lot of questions and most people are happy to talk about themselves. Also, I will do that sometimes if someone is “full of themselves,” and they’ll be so happy to talk about their lives. Also, if I’m tired, that’s a technique I’ll use because I can ask a question or two and they will talk on and on, and I can sit there and just listen.
If I want to get to know someone, like an elderly person, I’ll ask where they grew up and what their father did for a living, and I’ll exclaim and ask a few more questions and it will usually be very interesting. Sometimes they’ll tell me something really personal and it helps me to get to know them better, for example if their father was a drinker or something like that.
In my work as a caseworker, I had to listen, and often would ask very personal questions and I’d have to hear the answers. I never took notes. I would make mental notes and when I got back to the office, I would type them into the computer. To me, writing notes while someone is talking just makes it hard to really comprehend the convo.
Sometimes, if I’m talking to a friend and we both have shared experiences, like about how crazy our day was or some tough experience like holiday shopping or something like that, she will be talking and I’ll be eager to tell my story.
Therefore, it depends on what and who and how tired I am (haha).