I do that too and most of the time it leads to good conversations.
Sometimes it gets awkward though and that is when the other person is really, really excited about what they do. If I just show my honest interest I feel disappointment on the other side that I do not share the same enthusiasm.
On the other hand I can't be frantic about something I didn't even know existed a few minutes ago. Positively interested yes, but really, truly emotional no. Faking excitement doesn't make me feel comfortable either.
This happens quite often to me! I ask someone a question and get a super enthusiastic answer!
If it’s something I’m also interested in then we go to town, otherwise I tend to listen to the other person for a short while, perhaps ask them one or two more questions on the topic, then bring the conversation back to something else. It could be about that event or place we’re in, or some kind of tangent based on what has been said earlier in the conversation.
I've generally been on the giving side of that, but I think people like that are generally used to people not sharing their (our) enthusiasm, so I think just being interested and asking questions is fine, even though it doesn't blow your mind.
You don't have to be super excited about everything anyway, just being interested in what the other person has to say already makes you a better listener than most people.
Sometimes it gets awkward though and that is when the other person is really, really excited about what they do. If I just show my honest interest I feel disappointment on the other side that I do not share the same enthusiasm. On the other hand I can't be frantic about something I didn't even know existed a few minutes ago. Positively interested yes, but really, truly emotional no. Faking excitement doesn't make me feel comfortable either.
Do you have any experience with that situation?