We can thank religion, also, for our fanatic worship of work. Because of our newly founded idiocracy (caused also by unfounded belief) our imaginations have been drained dry and what is left is a shell, ready to be filled by ideology and idiocy.
We are not interested in what purpose each of us has or to what end that we act or thinking, but only to what the other “does”. What an ugly word: “does”. It is only interested in meritocratic acts, in usefulness, only in biding time until death.
“What do you do?” “What have you done?” These questions lack interest and sincerity. They are not asked out of curiosity but out of judgement. They are not asked out of interest. No. Only out of the lack of knowing what else to ask.
Work is defined from necessity now. It is no different than eating, sleeping or shitting; a bodily function. I am not interested in “what you do”- but only “why you do it”. But to no avail because meritocracy inevitably leads to the mediocracy of money.
The Armchair Philosopher 
“What do you do?” is on my list of questions to never ask. I feel it’s rude and you are right judgmental in nature. I don’t hear it asked much anymore. A friend who lives in Las Vegas said it remains a top question there.
I don’t ask were are you from either. I might say have you always lived in fill in the blank. Folks can elaborate if they want or leave it at yes or no.
Hi Connie! Thanks for your comment. The question seems to stem from one of three things, or perhaps all three? (3) They don’t know what else to say, (2) They are judging you, shoring you up, (3) They’re afraid of any silence in a conversation. I’m not good at small talk, and maybe I should practice. But it seems to me that there are more topics under the sun than work and money.