The "Getting to Know You" Paradox

It's interesting that when people want to get to know me, they usually ask me the same cliche questions: "Where are you going to school?" "How's school and work going?" "Where are you and Emily living?" or a bazillion other questions that all relate to "work" and "school." I think more appropriate questions are "why" questions, which involve actual thought and help reveal why people are the way they are. But then if you ask a "why" question, it seems kinda weird, like you're trying to "get to know them" or something.