Wednesday, August 29, 2012

How to Talk to New People

            So, last week I covered Sidewalk Etiquette at UT Tyler, but it seems I've missed expanding on a key point. After moving over thirty-eight times, talking to people is not really a problem for me. It is just something that I do.

So when some of my friends were like,
"MEGAN, I'M SOCIALLY AWKWARD."
"MEGAN, WHAT DO I SAY TO PEOPLE?"
"MEGAN, HOW DO I SOCIALIZE?'
  1. My overwhelming answer, every time, is to say- "Hi"
  2. If they respond, ask them about themselves and what they enjoy. 

That's it. No tips or tricks. Just two steps. I can't guarantee that they'll answer. I have no idea if they will respond to your text. I don't know if you will even have anything in common at all.
Or, telling someone you like the color purple may lead to lasting friendships. Who knows?

What I do know is, you'll never meet anyone unless you try!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Socially awkward.... lol it's time for these people to freaking grow up, you're in college not a middle schooler.

~b.breezy~

Anonymous said...

I know it's hard to believe, but not everyone is the same. Not everyone has the same strengths in things like social skills. It's not as easy as "growing up" - it's not even as easy as taking medication for some. Severe anxiety is an actual problem that inhibits people from communicating as effectively as social butterflies. If you were physically disabled and incapable of performing physical activities as well as a non-disabled person, would you enjoy being told to just "grow up" (or grow legs/arms, as it might be)? A mental handicap is just as real as a physical one. It's not something you "grow up" from.

Anonymous said...

Coming from someone that has serious social anxiety issues this might sound silly but that is some of the best yet most overlooked advice I've ever heard. Thank you for putting it out there in such a simple yet smacks you over the head with straight logic type of way. :)

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