[yan]

Good luck gauging if the person you're talking to is familiar with classical political theory.

I honestly do think that the content of the conversation doesn't make up 100% of the reason why a girl/friend/colleague remembers you. A lot of it is your mannerisms, look, demeanor, friendliness, etc. A real conversation is great, but it's a very risky bet trying to dive straight in to controversial topics.

The reason smalltalk exists is to get a feel for what topics one can actually discuss. It's all part of the dance.