30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others As Shared By This Online Group
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Justinas Keturka
Publish Not your original work? Add source According to legal consultant, communication coach and author David Parnell, being a people's person on the surface seems like a combination of features such as having a good personality or being a good listener, but when you start to look closer at what actually makes one likable, you notice that more often than not, these attributes come in the form of effective, accurate and persuasive communication. Which is exactly what the subreddit r/SocialSkills is all about. As the moderators of this online community say, it's "a place to share your favorite social skills tips, ask for advice, or offer encouragement to others on their social skills journey." Since its creation in 2009, the subreddit has grown to a 2.7 million-big army and has collected plenty of useful information. Here are some of its most-upvoted posts. This post may include affiliate links. #1 I have recently come to realise that cringing is good.
If you ever think about some of your past mistakes and you start cringing, realise that you are cringing because you now have the insight to do things differently. Acknowledge that you are allowed to make mistakes and celebrate your growth. necolleshinori , Hermes Rivera Report Final score: 131points POST snipergun snipergun Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This one is absolutely greatest thing for me to realize. No need to punish yourself. You did your share, it's in past. Learn and move on just give it right place. 22 22points reply View More Replies... View more comments #2 If somebody is rude to you, ask them to repeat themselves. Here's why...
"sorry?" "excuse me what was that?" "can you please repeat what you said?" in a calm confused tone
They are most likely to either rephrase what they said or say it in a nicer way.
Most people feel the guilt kick in once they get another chance of repeating what they said before, they get this little feeling of either 'what is wrong in what I said?' or give them a slight realization of 'wait.. There seems to be consequences' .
This also makes the people around look down on the person that was offensive shifting the focus at them once again l. ray7667 , Etienne Boulanger Report Final score: 118points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Depends on the situation, though. Sometimes the rude person might take it as a provocation. 41 41points reply View More Replies... View more comments #3 People who ask you what you were going to say after you're interrupted are the best.
Just had this happen to me and it made me feel like someone actually cares about what I have to say! bbysnks , RODNAE Production Report Final score: 116points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Aww.... not to brag, but I am that person. And I even repeat the topic, helping them to get back on track. 26 26points reply View More Replies... View more comments #4 Stop trying to be liked by everybody. You don't even like everybody.
I say this but can't even apply it to myself. What a clown. lukeedookee , cottonbro Report Final score: 109points POST David Woollands David Woollands Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) “What people think of you… is none of your business!’ 27 27points reply View More Replies... View more comments #5 If you think you are boring read this
My heart breaks every time I see somebody call themselves boring. You're looking at it all wrong and that's why you still feel the same way. Please read this and I'll try and prove it to you.
People don't care if you're interesting. They care how you make them feel.
Heres a thought experiment. Picture yourself alone at a fancy cocktail party that you have to attend for work. You would like to talk to people but you aren't sure what to say. At different times during the evening two different people approach you and make conversation. Heres how it goes:
Bob approaches you. You find out he just bought a boat. A 35ft with twin engines. He wrecked his old one racing it off of the coast of Portugal last year and almost died. Hes been doing kettle bell workouts to get his body back in shape and its working great. He thinks the wine they served at the cocktail party is s**t and he bets they don't have a single real sommelier in the building. Hes going to do something about that actually, because he knows the guy that owns the place. He leaves his number on a napkin and says lets get coffee before he answers his Bluetooth headset and runs off.
Larry approaches you. He said hes feeling a little shy and he noticed that you were standing there alone. He doesn't care for big parties full of strangers. He asks if you like Dr Who. You arent really but you say you have heard of it and there is an awkward pause. He asks you what you do for fun and you say you love doing archery and renaissance fairs. Hes never done anything like that but hes interested to know more. Do they do those around here? What time of year? Do you have to dress up or can you just go? When's the next one? Larry says if you ever need someome to go with you that hes down and he asks if he can add you on Facebook.
Ok. Who are you going to call? Bob or Larry? Was it more important that they were interesting or was it more important that they were interested in you. You don't have to relate to everything. Fight that urge. Just be interested. If you make somebody else feel interesting, they will think the world of you.
I have cool hobbies. I make knives and tools in my metal shop. I like to take hallucinogens and go to music festivals. I don't talk about them, people dont give a s**t and that doesnt hurt my feelings. Nobody is ever going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling from you because you have cool hobby
Most people are shy when it comes to making friends. Some people do walk around just bored and disinterested in others. Learn to recognize them and pay them no energy.
Take some time to appreciate yourself. Stop calling yourself boring. You arent a f**king jester here to entertain people. Youre an entire human being with just as much validity as anybody else. Love yourself for who you are, and help other people feel good about themselves and you will never feel lonely again.
Just remember to ask "what do you do for fun?" tigerjams , Jorge Alvarez Report Final score: 100points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I don't consider myself boring. Just socially unlucky. 22 22points reply View More Replies... View more comments #6 I stopped letting people walk all over me, and it cost me my entire friend group.
I was friends with these people for 7 years, and was so people pleasing to the point of toxicity. It was exhausting, but I couldn't think of any other way to make and keep friends. One of the girls consistently put me down, with "jokes" that weren't really jokes, and got upset whenever I tried to poke fun at her too. She was extremely stubborn and never admitted that she might have been wrong. I couldn't have a normal conversation with her anymore. She was the "leader", did this with everyone else, too.
Eventually I woke up and started to set boundaries. She didn't like that. Started to distance herself from me, disinvite me from social functions, and talk behind my back. The others would reach out to me individually and I really tried to stay friends with them, but they always hung out in the group setting with the "leader". I eventually faded away. It hurt but maybe it's for the best.
Don't let yourself get walked all over for the sake of having friends. I haven't fully recovered yet, but I know myself enough now to chose people that treat me like a decent human being. paper_dog_dio , Siavash Ghanbari Report Final score: 100points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago It does hurt. I tried turning the tables and making similar remarks back a couple of times and the look on their face when they first realised was priceless. Sadly, because being unkind comes naturally to them, they will always be better at it. 21 21points reply View more comments #7 If you are average or less in social skills, DO NOT talk to strangers, this is for advanced social butterflies, but DO THIS INSTEAD
If your goal is to gEt OuT oF yOuR cOmFoRt ZoNe, then sure, go talk to strangers, do bungee jumping, parachute jumping and etc.
But if you want to find friends and build/extend your social circle, then you 100% need to join a hobby group/volunteering/sport groups.
For example, I went to volunteer about the cleaning of a small village. I absolutely had to talk to the other volunteers because we had to collaborate.
Or go join hiking groups. Nothing is more bonding to a group of strangers than spending time with them in complete seclusion in the nature for hours.
I want to thank the kind people of this subreddit who gave me this advice and I am just passing it forward to someone who needs it. PhatPlonker , Dylan Gillis Report Final score: 76points POST Donkey boi Donkey boi Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago OP's point is correct, but 'a group of strangers than spending time with them in complete seclusion' is probably not the best example! 11 11points reply View More Replies... View more comments #8 True friends are happy when you improve. Fake friends are afraid.
Reminder. blackswany , Matheus Ferrero Report Final score: 62points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Had the fake type who would belittle me if I got compliments. We had such a laugh together that it took a while to see the truth, but then I realised how much harm they were causing. Real friends would be pleased for you or swallow down their jealousy, not attempt to make you feel it wasn't worth having. Took a while to get over it, as well as to realise no friend is better than harmful friend. 20 20points reply View More Replies... View more comments #9 Know when to stop talking. This is the difference between being an awkward person and an annoying person.
Usually, when people start giving very dry responses, or straight up start to walk away, that means that you’ve been talking for a while. People who are awkward can still function on a social level, because they know when to stop talking. As soon as you start picking up these social cues your world can change. xXSpaghett_StealerXx , Jessica Da Rosa Report Final score: 51points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I had to smile on this one, as it reminds me of my mother. She was like this. She could talk to you, without ever listening to you. I am the kind of person, that starts responding with dry responses when I feel that a conversation is a one-way-street. The thing is, like with my mother, that there're a lot of people that won't even recognize that they're like this. They won't even see the signs. 22 22points reply View more comments #10 The biggest lesson I learned this year Is not to force anything. Conversation, love, friendships. Anything that is forced is not worth fighting for. Whatever flows flows, whatever crashes crashes. It is what it is. Freezy_187 , Ron Lach Report Final score: 43points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Personally, I think there are multiple things in-between forcing and flowing. It is okay to care and to be committed, in a relationship for example. You still can do certain things without forcing it or building up pressure on you or the other person. As always it becomes a problem, when you are the only one who cares. Just flowing, without dedication to me sounds more like not caring at all, which ends up in indifference. That's neither good. As always, the truth can be found somewhere in the middle. 15 15points reply View more comments #11 If a friend asks you to hang out and you are busy the first couple of times they ask, if you want to hang out with them, take the initiative and suggest a time and date yourself.
This might some kinda obvious but you’d be surprised how often this doesn’t occur to people! The other person has done most of the hard work by showing a willingness to hang out, so if you want to meet them you just need to say when. Don’t just say “I am sure we will find a date soon”, do what you can to make it concrete.
As someone with mild social anxiety, I always appreciate when people do this as it means I know they aren’t just being polite when they say they want to meet up. docju , Priscilla Du Preez Report Final score: 42points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) Yep. Learnt this one not too late, but wish I did sooner. When you're interacting with someone you want to keep, don't stop at "we should hang out sometimes", but, if the situation allows it, get it out spontaneously and suggest a date, like "I'm free this *day*, how about *place*"? See how they react. If they accept you, but can't accept your date, they will suggest something else, or they will reach out to you later to either confirm or refuse, or suggest something else. If they just deny, maybe they don't feel about you the same and that's fine too. 9 9points reply View more comments #12 “Can I give you my number?” instead of “Can I have your number?”
This is some advice that mostly directed to the guys of this sub.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where many women have to stay on guard to avoid, for lack of a better term, weird perverts and would-be attackers. That is simply a fact. And it needs to be addressed, but this sub isn’t for dismantling the patriarchy.
So, an indirect issue that arises from this much larger issue is the fact that many guys come across as weird and creepy when trying to flirt, even though it may be completely harmless. And that’s why I never ask a girl for her number.
Instead, I ask if I can give her my number.
There’s a very subtle difference between the two and that difference is giving the woman the power to contact you rather than asking for that power yourself. That way, she can politely accept and then decide later if she would actually like to speak to you again or not. Whereas asking for her number really puts her on the spot and, if she says yes, removes her sense of distance simply because you can now contact her at will.
This is how I go about getting into contact with girls I meet and would like to start getting to know better and I’ve found that it generally works a lot more often than asking for their number. ThatOneJakeGuy , Porapak Apichodilok Report Final score: 39points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago As a woman, I think this is good advice, not only for flirting and not only for guys. To think of it, it's a bit like giving out a business card, but in a friendlier way. Slightly off-topic. I'm not so good at remembering numbers, so it took me a while to remember my own phone number as well. In fact, I remember my phone number because I memorised it as a word, I have this physical speech apparatus memory of my phone number, rather than the numbers themselves, so when I have to give it in a different language, it takes me a little time to translate it. Anyway, I was saying. This random friendly guy encountered in public transportation asks me my number. Me, spontaneously and in all honesty: "oh, I don't know my number, sorry". His reaction was as if I were lying. At this point, my stop arrived and I rushingly excused myself to get off. Only later did I give it second thoughts of what was really going on, probably. 17 17points reply View More Replies... View more comments #13 3 Conversational Tricks to Excite Anyone
One of the most common problems people struggle with is conversational skills.
Technology rewires our brains to think in terms of memes, posts, and videos, so we’re losing out on real world talk!
When you struggle with conversational skills, you feel anxious, creating a downward spiral in where you miss out on the meaningful connection you know you need.
Here are 3 antidotes you can use now to make your conversations EXCITING.
Number one: “The Mirror”
This trick is so simple that you won’t believe it until you try it.
When someone finishes saying something, repeat the last 3-5 words they said in the exact same way. I’ve done this for minutes on end, it’s actually hilarious.
Here’s what happens: someone will finish saying something like, “yeah so I really want to travel to Europe.”
Then you repeat: travel to Europe?
And INSTANTLY the person will go, “yeah I wanna [explain reasons here].” You can keep doing this until you find something to add onto.
Why I love it: sometimes I’m tired and just want to listen, and this trick let’s you do just that! It also cuts through surface-level talk and forces people to open up and explain deeper motivations.
Number two: “Bold Statements.”
Now that you’ve got the person opening up, you should be feeling a bit more confident.
At this point, you probably are thinking of some questions to ask them. Problem? Endless questions are SO 1900’s.
Instead of saying, “what do you do for work?” Say: “I think you’re a doctor.”
The recipient will go: “What?!? Why’s that.” Or, your guess will be right, and you’ll blow everyone’s minds!
Then you answer by giving a legitimate reason to back up your statement. For example, “you speak in a very formal & articulate manner which reminds me of my doctor.”
This trick opens up an exciting discussion where you both are operating on a deeper level instead of boring, surface level “What do you do” type questions.
Note: the statement should be at least slightly accurate, and not come off as “judgy.” It should be more fun, and always be a compliment…
Number three: “Share the Love”
Put on a smile because you’re about to spread some good energy. Everyone LOVES praise, so why not give it out, especially when it’s well-deserved?
If someone is cute- tell them. If someone is hilarious- confess it. You’re hurting no one.
As I hinted at you can combine the previous trick with this one. Example:
“Wow, you’re really smart. You must be a doctor or something!” (say with a smile)
The person will blush from happiness, and your guess will either be right and they’ll go “OMG you’re awesome” OR they’ll go, “thank you, I’m actually a [job].”
Then you can use the first tip and go, “oh you’re a [job]” and they’ll start elaborating about the deeper reasons they chose that profession. (:
Now, get out there! This works with everyone- coworkers, family, friends, elevator talks. Go try it! [deleted] , Charles Deluvio Report Final score: 38points POST Kimi Tomminello Kimi Tomminello Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I would be VERY uncomfortable with almost all of this. Overdoing the compliments and interest can come off as very creepy. 10 10points reply View More Replies... View more comments #14 Does anyone else oscillate between wanting to be invisible and wishing they weren’t so lonely.
There are periods where I really want to make friends and am encouraged to hang out with people and make small talk, but then there are days when I’m really tired and don’t have the energy or interest to have quality conversations and I would really just rather keep to myself.
After those days when I don’t feel like talking or hanging out, having conversations with people feels really awkward and I have a sense of guilt for not having been able to fight through my fatigue in order to talk to them. AsthenDiscovery , Felipe Cespedes Report Final score: 37points POST NinjaWolfy94 NinjaWolfy94 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This is relatable, but how is it a tip...? 40 40points reply View More Replies... View more comments #15 You're not alone in feeling alone. 22 percent of millenials say they have "no friends" - 30 percent feel 'lonely'.
If you're struggling with depression or having a hard time making friends, keep in mind that it's not abnormal. It's easy to look at social media and wonder why everyone is having fun except for you - but it's simply not the case.
If you're able to accept that you're struggling and realize it's a normal behavior, it will help you to stop beating yourself up so that you can feel better and begin to make progress. AltPerspective , Bob Price Report Final score: 34points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I could be wrong, but I think, at this point, nobody thinks that's abnormal. It's the opposite. We all know this is normal, we accept it and we're all too scared to make that first step. 9 9points reply View More Replies... View more comments #16 Why do some people feel the need to comment on how someone is shy or more quiet than others in a public?
I get that comment at work all the time and I’m a nurse..like brah leave me alone...I do my job just fine, I’ve accepted I’m more quiet and have a smaller social circle and I’m fine with it. just bc I’m not outgoing and loud like you doesn’t mean you have to point that out in a group setting. That just makes me more a little insecure and less confident at work like that’s not a compliment in this extroverted world and makes everyone uncomfortable. f**kucuty234 , Priscilla Du Preez Report Final score: 32points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago So agree with this. Just stop making personal comments. Even a compliment might be double edged to the receiver. My father only valued me for my looks and called me stupid. People commenting on my looks today brings back unhappy memories of not mattering for my brain. I know for most it will be a simply received compliment but you can't know that for sure, can you? I prefer to focus on what people do, not what they look like. 15 15points reply View more comments #17 It's okay to always be the one to initiate contact with a friend. Just because they don't reach out to you first doesn't mean they don't like you or want to hang out with you.
It's okay to always be that friend who starts up the conversation. Never assume they don't like you or don't want to spend time with you just because they don't text you first or invite you to things. Don't ever tell yourself that without evidence to back it up.
It's a two-way street and they want to feel accepted and feel like they belong just like you do, at least to some degree. You reaching out tells the other person that they are important to you. This boosts your self-esteem for stepping out of your comfort zone and helps them feel more confident in themselves. Double win and you get to spend time with a friend. wesley_mccreary , Christian Wiediger Report Final score: 30points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) It really depends I guess. If you are the one that iniate contact and the other person reacts and is interested. That is okay. But if there's no reaction at all and you feel like it's a one-way-street, than it's probably not worth it in most cases. Sometimes we hang on to people, because we remember good times, but in reality the connection broke long ago and we just can't admit it to ourselves. Sometimes it's hard to let go, but as always in life, it can always create room for new and create opportunities. 29 29points reply View more comments #18 If you feel like you’re losing control over your life, try this: pick one thing you’ve been avoiding and FORCE YOURSELF TO DO IT. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the sense of confidence, agency, and power returns to you.
It can be anything from...
Cleaning up your room
Sending that text
Calling that person up
Responding to that email
Picking up that book
Writing that letter
Signing up for that course
Walking into the gym
Etc.
It’s going to be hard as hell (that’s built-up mental resistance) but TRUST ME, once you push through it, the other side is bliss.
The door is already open, you just have to walk through it. Tousen71 , Tirachard Kumtanom Report Final score: 24points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago If you feel like you are losing control of you life, like real loss of control, and I am not talking about a messy apartment, then seek for help. Talk to one person you trust. It's always easier to get through this with the help and outside-view of a second person. There's nothing wrong with admitting your problems. It rather helps and takes a lot of pressure of your shoulders. It can be a relieve. You just have to do the step forward. I am speaking of experience. A couple of years back a good friend of mine was in a very bad situation in his life. He was very good at hiding it. Like a lot of people with depression, for example, are. It took him years to talk to us, his friends, about it. We were later able to help him and he also got medical support. It was a long way and it wasn't always easy, but him alone wouldn't have gotten himself out of it. He lives a happy life now, but it could've ended much worse. Seek for help. Always. 14 14points reply View More Replies... View more comments #19 When you meet someone, anyone, take 1-2 second, and just lock eyes. Then hit them with a big smile. You will get a giant smile back, with a rush of positive emotions. Works every time. People will always remember how you make them feel. rsa861217 , Shiny Diamond Report Final score: 23points POST Daria Z Daria Z Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago In my country it would be considered weird. 15 15points reply View More Replies... View more comments #20 Stop telling people what they should think about you
Just an observation but...
Stop telling people what you are. Don’t tell them you’re lazy (even if you are), don’t tell them you’re not a morning person (even if you aren’t) don’t tell them your not a type of person who does this or that.
People start seeing you through those opinions. Allow them to make up their own minds. Let’s be honest. You don’t even know yourself that well. Sure you might dislike waking up early but don’t be so strict on your own identity. You aren’t your preferences.
Try to experiment with who you are. You’ll be surprised. You’ll only restrict yourself by telling people around you, who you are. mr-one-two , Priscilla Du Preez Report Final score: 21points POST Elin Noller Elin Noller Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Being open with your preferences is an important part of setting boundaries. 12 12points reply View more comments #21 You don’t need to win every banter. Take things lightly and have fun while accepting defeat. It makes you look humble, secure and more likeable overall whereas fighting constantly makes you look super insecure and intimidated. browngirlsays , Keira Burton Report Final score: 21points POST maya P.K maya P.K Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago some of them you need to win, but i agree. be a good sport 5 5points reply View more comments See Also on Bored Panda Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective #22 If you are scared of talking to new people because they might think you're weird: if you are friendly to them and they think you're weird or act cold towards you, THEY are the weird ones and it should not matter at that point regarding how they see you. [deleted] , Stephan Seeber Report Final score: 15points POST Susie Elle Susie Elle Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago If you feel like you're the weird one, take a good, deep look at the people around you and realize that there's a lot of people way weirder than you are ;) 8 8points reply View More Replies... View more comments #23 I just got a tip for all y’all guys struggling with dating.
So many guys make it their main goal to not act awkward. This takes away their confidence and restricts there personality. Confidence is the number one priority and holding back your personality shows a lack of confidence even if you aren’t being akward. If you take risks and try and be outgoing despite acting awkward, girls will like that way better because it makes you come off like you’re trying and you’re at least confident enough to take risks. robloxdruglord , Mikel Parera Report Final score: 15points POST Susie Elle Susie Elle Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago So be genuine! It's what women have been telling you since forever :') (joking, it's a good tip) 13 13points reply View More Replies... View more comments #24 Being well-dressed, having a good haircut (if you have hair), and looking after your hygiene are the first things you should be doing.
I'm a 37 year old man with ADHD. I've been struggling my entire life to make and retain friends, impress women, and not be a complete train wreck in social settings.
But instead of sharing my tales of woe, I am simply going to jump right into the remedy:
Invest time into your appearance.
Here's what happens: people notice you unconsciously. If they like what they see, YOU will feel that unconsciously. You will simply feel better around people, they'll like you more, and you'll be extended more grace in social settings.
What you want is low-cost passive advantages. You want an avalanche of those advantages, so that practice becomes a natural by-product of your existence.
This is my daily bathroom routine:
floss
brush with whitening toothpaste
rinse with whitening mouthwash
wash face deeply
moisturize
It takes around 10 minutes. I try to do it twice but I never do it less than once per day.
If I'm going out, I consider who I might see or who I might want to interact with. I think about how they'll be dressed. I try to style myself to look like the guys that will be there but with enough attention to detail that I'll stand out (ie. clothes that fit properly and match).
For a haircut, I just ask for something that looks modern and go every 2-3 weeks.
Bonus: 100% of the things I listed can be bought or at least you can get free advice.
Example: walk into a decent clothing store and tell them you want a few shirts and a pair of pants that fit. It's literally their job to help you and if you're embarrassed about asking, who f**king cares because they're never going to remember you anyway.
Same for haircut. Just tell them you want something that looks good.
For hygiene, just go to a skin care store and ask. Once again, give zero f**ks because they'll never remember you anyway. [deleted] , Taisiia Shestopal Report Final score: 13points POST LivingTheDream LivingTheDream Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Clothing... It took so long for me to learn that asking a person I thought looked good to help me pick out clothes was a good idea. 11 11points reply View more comments #25 If you feel uncomfortable telling people whats going on in your life you don't have to . You owe them nothing and they don't care as much as you think.
A lot of times we think we have to be honest but its not necessary. Especially if its a touchy subject or something you'd rather not talk about. For some reason we think we owe them an explanation but they really can't tell how our lives really are.
If say you got fired from a job and someone asks how you're doing you don't have to tell them you got fired. Just be brief like ya everythings good how about you? Most people aren't gonna know whether you're telling the truth or not. Just remember you're not at anyone's mercy. Take control. bayfarm , Jeremy Yap Report Final score: 12points POST Susie Elle Susie Elle Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) I'd advice against doing that all the time, to be honest. If you're always going to act like everything's okay even though your body language tells me otherwise, because you believe I have no interest in actually knowing how you feel, then we're also never really going to connect. That's fine, we're not obliged to connect of course, but just be aware that always hiding your feelings because you think nobody cares and want to protect yourself from being hurt, that's going to keep people away from you and thus potential help with whatever it is you're struggling with. 15 15points reply View More Replies... View more comments #26 PRO TIP: Don’t concern yourself with being interesting, concern yourself with being interested.
Become interested in the person you are talking to. Ask them about themselves, not just surface questions but really try to engage with them. For example: you have a beautiful house! do you consider this to be your forever home? if you could move anywhere else where would it be?
Focus on the other person and it’ll take the load off you. Just my two cents. WannabeWayne , Christina Morillo Report Final score: 8points POST Kristin Ingersoll Kristin Ingersoll Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Not sure why this is rated lower than "Repeat the last three words they said." This is simple, sound advice. 6 6points reply View more comments #27 Do you struggle with social anxiety? Go to a concert ALONE.
Find a concert near you for one of your favorite bands. Preferably music that you have a deep connection to and will be excited to see. Take no friends, go completely alone. Move through the crowd as you see fit, dance by yourself, and do nothing but focus on your personal enjoyment of the music.
Putting myself in this anonymous social setting allowed me to explore my social freedom without the fear of judgement. I was no longer worried if my friends thought I was a goofy or bad dancer. Once I learned how to enjoy my own company and let loose, people actually started approaching me! That didnt happen when I was all stiff and pent up.
People would ask me stuff like "what's the song they are playing?" Or "have they played such and such yet?" It was then a lot easier to spark up convo with these people between sets or songs since they had already broken the ice. Guys and girls!
So buy a ticket and get out there. You don't even have to talk to anyone! Just start by getting out and feeling OK being by yourself. munchauzen , Pien Muller Report Final score: 8points POST maya P.K maya P.K Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago BIG TIPPP: make sure you are and will be safe, asecally if you are a woman. carry around pepper spray! 7 7points reply View more comments #28 Wow. I recently learned a social skill that’s made all the difference in my conversations
I joined a professional fraternity this Spring. One of the skills they emphasize is to ask abstract, interesting questions that garner a positive response and could lead to similarities/connections between the two people. Instead of asking boring af questions like “what are you majoring in” or “ where are you from”, ask questions that require more detail such as “ what caused you to major in X” or “ How come you chose to attend Tallahassee/Florida State?” These questions require more than one word answers, and open up doors for more conversation. Perhaps you have something in common that you wouldn’t have known had you not asked. Once you have something in common. Boom. Instant connection. Then you build off that conversation by expanding upon that subject, or switch the conversation if needed. I’ve found that this is the hardest part of 1 on 1 conversation, and once you get past the initial hump of breaking the ice/not making it awkward, it makes the rest of the conversation so much easier. jrv53 , Medienstürmer Report Final score: 8points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I'd just add to the examples of the "boring questions" the ones that are too broad. For example "how is the food there"?, "how are the people there?" Ugh.... be more specific, please. Of course I'll tell you "they're good", and stop here. Also, I'd appreciate if you see me as me, not a specimen of whatever box you put me in, even if with good intentions. 3 3points reply View More Replies... View more comments #29 When someone insults you, they aren’t insulting YOU. They are insulting their current perception of their understanding of your identity which is NOT you.
I hope you feel more confident now. Masol_The_Producer , Liza Summer Report Final score: 6points POST Jaana Kaurisalo Jaana Kaurisalo Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Nah I'm pretty sure the guys attacking my looks do mean it. 6 6points reply View More Replies... View more comments #30 Today I turn 33. Here are 33 lessons I’ve learned about being better with people
1. Dialing up your energy a bit (+10%) when you’re being social makes it easier to have a good time.
2. Being curious will help you be interested in other people.
3. No one can mind-read. They have no clue what you’re thinking. You have no idea what they are thinking.
4. The spotlight effect is real. We all tend to overestimate the amount that other people notice and observe us.
5. It’s possible to view the same event 2 different ways. Ex: You say “Hi”. They brush past you instead of saying “Hi”. Negative view: “They must be mad at me.” Positive view: “They must be preoccupied, they probably didn’t hear me.”
6. First Impressions start BEFORE you open your mouth. Seeming approachable is key…
7. Master the “Resting happy face” = Have a slight smile on your face when you’re out at an event. Studies have shown smiling makes you happier. Which will lead to better interactions.
8. No need to overthink eye contact. Make eye contact for a few seconds, glance away, rinse and repeat.
9. Small talk is necessary. It helps you move from lighter topics to deeper topics so that you can build rapport.
10. During small talk, avoid the “Interrogation trap”. Balance questions with observations. (Great chance to give a meaningful compliment)
11. Keep a running list of social wins.** When you have a great interaction, make people laugh with a joke, etc. Write it down! Next time you’re feeling unsure, Look over your list to remind yourself that you have been successful in the past.
12. Try not to interrupt. If you accidentally interrupt, say “You were saying…” and bring up the last thing they said to get them back on track. (This shows that you were listening…you WERE listening, right?)
13. Listening is SO key. Listen and try to come up with observations and questions that show that you are 100% engaged.
14. Don’t stop listening when you come up with something to say. (I call this the “spring loaded response trap”) Be okay with letting go of what you were going to say…there’s always something else to say.
15. If you notice that the other person is mirroring your body language, that’s a great sign! This means that you two are in rapport and connecting. (You can trigger this by mirroring them a little first)
16. If you remember something cringey you did in the past. Try the 3 Fs: Flush, Fix, Forget. Flush: Take a breath and get some emotional distance from that memory. Fix: Is there anything you can change for next time? If so, make a note. Forget: Give yourself permission to forget it
17. Body Language: In most cases, people could take up more space, gesture more with their hands and stop fidgeting. These signal to others that you’re comfortable with yourself. (Which helps them feel comfortable too)
18. How to be interesting. Develop a wide range of interests. Know a little about a lot. This will make a wide range of topics and conversations 10x easier.
19. Be bold. Don’t wait for people to come to you. Approach people first. Introduce yourself first. Own the interaction.
20. The more comfortable you can make yourself, the more comfortable you can make others. (Important to balance with getting out of your comfort zone and growing as a person though)
21. Prep a quick summary/story from your weekend. People will ask, have something ready.
22. Saying “No” and crafting boundaries is important. People will treat you however you let them. Hard to know if people are stepping over boundaries if you aren’t sure what those boundaries are.
23. Saying “Yes” is important too. Not “Yes” to things you don’t want to do, but yes to new and exciting experiences and Jeffcallahan3 , Markus Spiske Report Final score: 6points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Number 16, remembering something cringy. I tell myself I wasn't thinking about it 10 minutes ago and so I have no need to think about it in10 minutes time. I remember that most people focus on what embarrassed them and they won't know you were embarrassed. Possibly won't remember the incident at all and then... I let it go. Dump the memory and focus on something else. It fades and then goes away again. 4 4points reply View more comments Note: this post originally had 41 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes. Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Add Your Answer! Not your original work? Add source Publish Change image Upload Photo Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB. Upload Upload Edit Image Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again. Render conversation
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Title Update Rokas Laurinavičius Rokas Laurinavičius Writer, BoredPanda staff Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 235 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to. Read more » Justinas Keturka Justinas Keturka Author, BoredPanda staff Justin is a photo editor at Bored Panda. He was fascinated with visual arts and arts in general for as long as he can remember. He was obsessed with playing and making music in his teens. After finishing high school, he took a gap year to work odd jobs and try to figure out what he wanted to do next. Finally, around 2016, he started learning how to use Photoshop and hasn't stopped since. He started working as a visual advertisement producer in 2017 and worked there for almost two years. In his spare time, he creates graphic collages and even had his first artwork exhibition at "Devilstone". Read more » Show All Contributors Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! Popular on Bored Panda Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Write comments POST Calyfan Yelood Calyfan Yelood Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago As someone who struggled heavily with social anxiety in the past, my biggest tip would be patience. Most people don't become the closest of friends overnight, so keep showing up. Especially in 1 on 1s this shows you care, even if you don't know how to relate to them. And for us who feel a bit more confident, just a reminder to look after those who may not have many friends ;-). And when you do, it's worth it! One of my closest friends were made from them seeing me alone and another from me seeing them alone! 2 2points reply M M M M Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This thread has so much walue. It should come as a book for regular reading. 1 1point reply POST Calyfan Yelood Calyfan Yelood Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago As someone who struggled heavily with social anxiety in the past, my biggest tip would be patience. Most people don't become the closest of friends overnight, so keep showing up. Especially in 1 on 1s this shows you care, even if you don't know how to relate to them. And for us who feel a bit more confident, just a reminder to look after those who may not have many friends ;-). And when you do, it's worth it! One of my closest friends were made from them seeing me alone and another from me seeing them alone! 2 2points reply M M M M Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This thread has so much walue. It should come as a book for regular reading. 1 1point reply Popular on Bored Panda I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. 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30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others As Shared By This Online Group
Rokas Laurinavičius andJustinas Keturka
Publish Not your original work? Add source According to legal consultant, communication coach and author David Parnell, being a people's person on the surface seems like a combination of features such as having a good personality or being a good listener, but when you start to look closer at what actually makes one likable, you notice that more often than not, these attributes come in the form of effective, accurate and persuasive communication. Which is exactly what the subreddit r/SocialSkills is all about. As the moderators of this online community say, it's "a place to share your favorite social skills tips, ask for advice, or offer encouragement to others on their social skills journey." Since its creation in 2009, the subreddit has grown to a 2.7 million-big army and has collected plenty of useful information. Here are some of its most-upvoted posts. This post may include affiliate links. #1 I have recently come to realise that cringing is good.
If you ever think about some of your past mistakes and you start cringing, realise that you are cringing because you now have the insight to do things differently. Acknowledge that you are allowed to make mistakes and celebrate your growth. necolleshinori , Hermes Rivera Report Final score: 131points POST snipergun snipergun Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This one is absolutely greatest thing for me to realize. No need to punish yourself. You did your share, it's in past. Learn and move on just give it right place. 22 22points reply View More Replies... View more comments #2 If somebody is rude to you, ask them to repeat themselves. Here's why...
"sorry?" "excuse me what was that?" "can you please repeat what you said?" in a calm confused tone
They are most likely to either rephrase what they said or say it in a nicer way.
Most people feel the guilt kick in once they get another chance of repeating what they said before, they get this little feeling of either 'what is wrong in what I said?' or give them a slight realization of 'wait.. There seems to be consequences' .
This also makes the people around look down on the person that was offensive shifting the focus at them once again l. ray7667 , Etienne Boulanger Report Final score: 118points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Depends on the situation, though. Sometimes the rude person might take it as a provocation. 41 41points reply View More Replies... View more comments #3 People who ask you what you were going to say after you're interrupted are the best.
Just had this happen to me and it made me feel like someone actually cares about what I have to say! bbysnks , RODNAE Production Report Final score: 116points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Aww.... not to brag, but I am that person. And I even repeat the topic, helping them to get back on track. 26 26points reply View More Replies... View more comments #4 Stop trying to be liked by everybody. You don't even like everybody.
I say this but can't even apply it to myself. What a clown. lukeedookee , cottonbro Report Final score: 109points POST David Woollands David Woollands Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) “What people think of you… is none of your business!’ 27 27points reply View More Replies... View more comments #5 If you think you are boring read this
My heart breaks every time I see somebody call themselves boring. You're looking at it all wrong and that's why you still feel the same way. Please read this and I'll try and prove it to you.
People don't care if you're interesting. They care how you make them feel.
Heres a thought experiment. Picture yourself alone at a fancy cocktail party that you have to attend for work. You would like to talk to people but you aren't sure what to say. At different times during the evening two different people approach you and make conversation. Heres how it goes:
Bob approaches you. You find out he just bought a boat. A 35ft with twin engines. He wrecked his old one racing it off of the coast of Portugal last year and almost died. Hes been doing kettle bell workouts to get his body back in shape and its working great. He thinks the wine they served at the cocktail party is s**t and he bets they don't have a single real sommelier in the building. Hes going to do something about that actually, because he knows the guy that owns the place. He leaves his number on a napkin and says lets get coffee before he answers his Bluetooth headset and runs off.
Larry approaches you. He said hes feeling a little shy and he noticed that you were standing there alone. He doesn't care for big parties full of strangers. He asks if you like Dr Who. You arent really but you say you have heard of it and there is an awkward pause. He asks you what you do for fun and you say you love doing archery and renaissance fairs. Hes never done anything like that but hes interested to know more. Do they do those around here? What time of year? Do you have to dress up or can you just go? When's the next one? Larry says if you ever need someome to go with you that hes down and he asks if he can add you on Facebook.
Ok. Who are you going to call? Bob or Larry? Was it more important that they were interesting or was it more important that they were interested in you. You don't have to relate to everything. Fight that urge. Just be interested. If you make somebody else feel interesting, they will think the world of you.
I have cool hobbies. I make knives and tools in my metal shop. I like to take hallucinogens and go to music festivals. I don't talk about them, people dont give a s**t and that doesnt hurt my feelings. Nobody is ever going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling from you because you have cool hobby
Most people are shy when it comes to making friends. Some people do walk around just bored and disinterested in others. Learn to recognize them and pay them no energy.
Take some time to appreciate yourself. Stop calling yourself boring. You arent a f**king jester here to entertain people. Youre an entire human being with just as much validity as anybody else. Love yourself for who you are, and help other people feel good about themselves and you will never feel lonely again.
Just remember to ask "what do you do for fun?" tigerjams , Jorge Alvarez Report Final score: 100points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I don't consider myself boring. Just socially unlucky. 22 22points reply View More Replies... View more comments #6 I stopped letting people walk all over me, and it cost me my entire friend group.
I was friends with these people for 7 years, and was so people pleasing to the point of toxicity. It was exhausting, but I couldn't think of any other way to make and keep friends. One of the girls consistently put me down, with "jokes" that weren't really jokes, and got upset whenever I tried to poke fun at her too. She was extremely stubborn and never admitted that she might have been wrong. I couldn't have a normal conversation with her anymore. She was the "leader", did this with everyone else, too.
Eventually I woke up and started to set boundaries. She didn't like that. Started to distance herself from me, disinvite me from social functions, and talk behind my back. The others would reach out to me individually and I really tried to stay friends with them, but they always hung out in the group setting with the "leader". I eventually faded away. It hurt but maybe it's for the best.
Don't let yourself get walked all over for the sake of having friends. I haven't fully recovered yet, but I know myself enough now to chose people that treat me like a decent human being. paper_dog_dio , Siavash Ghanbari Report Final score: 100points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago It does hurt. I tried turning the tables and making similar remarks back a couple of times and the look on their face when they first realised was priceless. Sadly, because being unkind comes naturally to them, they will always be better at it. 21 21points reply View more comments #7 If you are average or less in social skills, DO NOT talk to strangers, this is for advanced social butterflies, but DO THIS INSTEAD
If your goal is to gEt OuT oF yOuR cOmFoRt ZoNe, then sure, go talk to strangers, do bungee jumping, parachute jumping and etc.
But if you want to find friends and build/extend your social circle, then you 100% need to join a hobby group/volunteering/sport groups.
For example, I went to volunteer about the cleaning of a small village. I absolutely had to talk to the other volunteers because we had to collaborate.
Or go join hiking groups. Nothing is more bonding to a group of strangers than spending time with them in complete seclusion in the nature for hours.
I want to thank the kind people of this subreddit who gave me this advice and I am just passing it forward to someone who needs it. PhatPlonker , Dylan Gillis Report Final score: 76points POST Donkey boi Donkey boi Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago OP's point is correct, but 'a group of strangers than spending time with them in complete seclusion' is probably not the best example! 11 11points reply View More Replies... View more comments #8 True friends are happy when you improve. Fake friends are afraid.
Reminder. blackswany , Matheus Ferrero Report Final score: 62points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Had the fake type who would belittle me if I got compliments. We had such a laugh together that it took a while to see the truth, but then I realised how much harm they were causing. Real friends would be pleased for you or swallow down their jealousy, not attempt to make you feel it wasn't worth having. Took a while to get over it, as well as to realise no friend is better than harmful friend. 20 20points reply View More Replies... View more comments #9 Know when to stop talking. This is the difference between being an awkward person and an annoying person.
Usually, when people start giving very dry responses, or straight up start to walk away, that means that you’ve been talking for a while. People who are awkward can still function on a social level, because they know when to stop talking. As soon as you start picking up these social cues your world can change. xXSpaghett_StealerXx , Jessica Da Rosa Report Final score: 51points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I had to smile on this one, as it reminds me of my mother. She was like this. She could talk to you, without ever listening to you. I am the kind of person, that starts responding with dry responses when I feel that a conversation is a one-way-street. The thing is, like with my mother, that there're a lot of people that won't even recognize that they're like this. They won't even see the signs. 22 22points reply View more comments #10 The biggest lesson I learned this year Is not to force anything. Conversation, love, friendships. Anything that is forced is not worth fighting for. Whatever flows flows, whatever crashes crashes. It is what it is. Freezy_187 , Ron Lach Report Final score: 43points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Personally, I think there are multiple things in-between forcing and flowing. It is okay to care and to be committed, in a relationship for example. You still can do certain things without forcing it or building up pressure on you or the other person. As always it becomes a problem, when you are the only one who cares. Just flowing, without dedication to me sounds more like not caring at all, which ends up in indifference. That's neither good. As always, the truth can be found somewhere in the middle. 15 15points reply View more comments #11 If a friend asks you to hang out and you are busy the first couple of times they ask, if you want to hang out with them, take the initiative and suggest a time and date yourself.
This might some kinda obvious but you’d be surprised how often this doesn’t occur to people! The other person has done most of the hard work by showing a willingness to hang out, so if you want to meet them you just need to say when. Don’t just say “I am sure we will find a date soon”, do what you can to make it concrete.
As someone with mild social anxiety, I always appreciate when people do this as it means I know they aren’t just being polite when they say they want to meet up. docju , Priscilla Du Preez Report Final score: 42points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) Yep. Learnt this one not too late, but wish I did sooner. When you're interacting with someone you want to keep, don't stop at "we should hang out sometimes", but, if the situation allows it, get it out spontaneously and suggest a date, like "I'm free this *day*, how about *place*"? See how they react. If they accept you, but can't accept your date, they will suggest something else, or they will reach out to you later to either confirm or refuse, or suggest something else. If they just deny, maybe they don't feel about you the same and that's fine too. 9 9points reply View more comments #12 “Can I give you my number?” instead of “Can I have your number?”
This is some advice that mostly directed to the guys of this sub.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where many women have to stay on guard to avoid, for lack of a better term, weird perverts and would-be attackers. That is simply a fact. And it needs to be addressed, but this sub isn’t for dismantling the patriarchy.
So, an indirect issue that arises from this much larger issue is the fact that many guys come across as weird and creepy when trying to flirt, even though it may be completely harmless. And that’s why I never ask a girl for her number.
Instead, I ask if I can give her my number.
There’s a very subtle difference between the two and that difference is giving the woman the power to contact you rather than asking for that power yourself. That way, she can politely accept and then decide later if she would actually like to speak to you again or not. Whereas asking for her number really puts her on the spot and, if she says yes, removes her sense of distance simply because you can now contact her at will.
This is how I go about getting into contact with girls I meet and would like to start getting to know better and I’ve found that it generally works a lot more often than asking for their number. ThatOneJakeGuy , Porapak Apichodilok Report Final score: 39points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago As a woman, I think this is good advice, not only for flirting and not only for guys. To think of it, it's a bit like giving out a business card, but in a friendlier way. Slightly off-topic. I'm not so good at remembering numbers, so it took me a while to remember my own phone number as well. In fact, I remember my phone number because I memorised it as a word, I have this physical speech apparatus memory of my phone number, rather than the numbers themselves, so when I have to give it in a different language, it takes me a little time to translate it. Anyway, I was saying. This random friendly guy encountered in public transportation asks me my number. Me, spontaneously and in all honesty: "oh, I don't know my number, sorry". His reaction was as if I were lying. At this point, my stop arrived and I rushingly excused myself to get off. Only later did I give it second thoughts of what was really going on, probably. 17 17points reply View More Replies... View more comments #13 3 Conversational Tricks to Excite Anyone
One of the most common problems people struggle with is conversational skills.
Technology rewires our brains to think in terms of memes, posts, and videos, so we’re losing out on real world talk!
When you struggle with conversational skills, you feel anxious, creating a downward spiral in where you miss out on the meaningful connection you know you need.
Here are 3 antidotes you can use now to make your conversations EXCITING.
Number one: “The Mirror”
This trick is so simple that you won’t believe it until you try it.
When someone finishes saying something, repeat the last 3-5 words they said in the exact same way. I’ve done this for minutes on end, it’s actually hilarious.
Here’s what happens: someone will finish saying something like, “yeah so I really want to travel to Europe.”
Then you repeat: travel to Europe?
And INSTANTLY the person will go, “yeah I wanna [explain reasons here].” You can keep doing this until you find something to add onto.
Why I love it: sometimes I’m tired and just want to listen, and this trick let’s you do just that! It also cuts through surface-level talk and forces people to open up and explain deeper motivations.
Number two: “Bold Statements.”
Now that you’ve got the person opening up, you should be feeling a bit more confident.
At this point, you probably are thinking of some questions to ask them. Problem? Endless questions are SO 1900’s.
Instead of saying, “what do you do for work?” Say: “I think you’re a doctor.”
The recipient will go: “What?!? Why’s that.” Or, your guess will be right, and you’ll blow everyone’s minds!
Then you answer by giving a legitimate reason to back up your statement. For example, “you speak in a very formal & articulate manner which reminds me of my doctor.”
This trick opens up an exciting discussion where you both are operating on a deeper level instead of boring, surface level “What do you do” type questions.
Note: the statement should be at least slightly accurate, and not come off as “judgy.” It should be more fun, and always be a compliment…
Number three: “Share the Love”
Put on a smile because you’re about to spread some good energy. Everyone LOVES praise, so why not give it out, especially when it’s well-deserved?
If someone is cute- tell them. If someone is hilarious- confess it. You’re hurting no one.
As I hinted at you can combine the previous trick with this one. Example:
“Wow, you’re really smart. You must be a doctor or something!” (say with a smile)
The person will blush from happiness, and your guess will either be right and they’ll go “OMG you’re awesome” OR they’ll go, “thank you, I’m actually a [job].”
Then you can use the first tip and go, “oh you’re a [job]” and they’ll start elaborating about the deeper reasons they chose that profession. (:
Now, get out there! This works with everyone- coworkers, family, friends, elevator talks. Go try it! [deleted] , Charles Deluvio Report Final score: 38points POST Kimi Tomminello Kimi Tomminello Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I would be VERY uncomfortable with almost all of this. Overdoing the compliments and interest can come off as very creepy. 10 10points reply View More Replies... View more comments #14 Does anyone else oscillate between wanting to be invisible and wishing they weren’t so lonely.
There are periods where I really want to make friends and am encouraged to hang out with people and make small talk, but then there are days when I’m really tired and don’t have the energy or interest to have quality conversations and I would really just rather keep to myself.
After those days when I don’t feel like talking or hanging out, having conversations with people feels really awkward and I have a sense of guilt for not having been able to fight through my fatigue in order to talk to them. AsthenDiscovery , Felipe Cespedes Report Final score: 37points POST NinjaWolfy94 NinjaWolfy94 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This is relatable, but how is it a tip...? 40 40points reply View More Replies... View more comments #15 You're not alone in feeling alone. 22 percent of millenials say they have "no friends" - 30 percent feel 'lonely'.
If you're struggling with depression or having a hard time making friends, keep in mind that it's not abnormal. It's easy to look at social media and wonder why everyone is having fun except for you - but it's simply not the case.
If you're able to accept that you're struggling and realize it's a normal behavior, it will help you to stop beating yourself up so that you can feel better and begin to make progress. AltPerspective , Bob Price Report Final score: 34points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I could be wrong, but I think, at this point, nobody thinks that's abnormal. It's the opposite. We all know this is normal, we accept it and we're all too scared to make that first step. 9 9points reply View More Replies... View more comments #16 Why do some people feel the need to comment on how someone is shy or more quiet than others in a public?
I get that comment at work all the time and I’m a nurse..like brah leave me alone...I do my job just fine, I’ve accepted I’m more quiet and have a smaller social circle and I’m fine with it. just bc I’m not outgoing and loud like you doesn’t mean you have to point that out in a group setting. That just makes me more a little insecure and less confident at work like that’s not a compliment in this extroverted world and makes everyone uncomfortable. f**kucuty234 , Priscilla Du Preez Report Final score: 32points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago So agree with this. Just stop making personal comments. Even a compliment might be double edged to the receiver. My father only valued me for my looks and called me stupid. People commenting on my looks today brings back unhappy memories of not mattering for my brain. I know for most it will be a simply received compliment but you can't know that for sure, can you? I prefer to focus on what people do, not what they look like. 15 15points reply View more comments #17 It's okay to always be the one to initiate contact with a friend. Just because they don't reach out to you first doesn't mean they don't like you or want to hang out with you.
It's okay to always be that friend who starts up the conversation. Never assume they don't like you or don't want to spend time with you just because they don't text you first or invite you to things. Don't ever tell yourself that without evidence to back it up.
It's a two-way street and they want to feel accepted and feel like they belong just like you do, at least to some degree. You reaching out tells the other person that they are important to you. This boosts your self-esteem for stepping out of your comfort zone and helps them feel more confident in themselves. Double win and you get to spend time with a friend. wesley_mccreary , Christian Wiediger Report Final score: 30points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) It really depends I guess. If you are the one that iniate contact and the other person reacts and is interested. That is okay. But if there's no reaction at all and you feel like it's a one-way-street, than it's probably not worth it in most cases. Sometimes we hang on to people, because we remember good times, but in reality the connection broke long ago and we just can't admit it to ourselves. Sometimes it's hard to let go, but as always in life, it can always create room for new and create opportunities. 29 29points reply View more comments #18 If you feel like you’re losing control over your life, try this: pick one thing you’ve been avoiding and FORCE YOURSELF TO DO IT. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the sense of confidence, agency, and power returns to you.
It can be anything from...
Cleaning up your room
Sending that text
Calling that person up
Responding to that email
Picking up that book
Writing that letter
Signing up for that course
Walking into the gym
Etc.
It’s going to be hard as hell (that’s built-up mental resistance) but TRUST ME, once you push through it, the other side is bliss.
The door is already open, you just have to walk through it. Tousen71 , Tirachard Kumtanom Report Final score: 24points POST Marc Marc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago If you feel like you are losing control of you life, like real loss of control, and I am not talking about a messy apartment, then seek for help. Talk to one person you trust. It's always easier to get through this with the help and outside-view of a second person. There's nothing wrong with admitting your problems. It rather helps and takes a lot of pressure of your shoulders. It can be a relieve. You just have to do the step forward. I am speaking of experience. A couple of years back a good friend of mine was in a very bad situation in his life. He was very good at hiding it. Like a lot of people with depression, for example, are. It took him years to talk to us, his friends, about it. We were later able to help him and he also got medical support. It was a long way and it wasn't always easy, but him alone wouldn't have gotten himself out of it. He lives a happy life now, but it could've ended much worse. Seek for help. Always. 14 14points reply View More Replies... View more comments #19 When you meet someone, anyone, take 1-2 second, and just lock eyes. Then hit them with a big smile. You will get a giant smile back, with a rush of positive emotions. Works every time. People will always remember how you make them feel. rsa861217 , Shiny Diamond Report Final score: 23points POST Daria Z Daria Z Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago In my country it would be considered weird. 15 15points reply View More Replies... View more comments #20 Stop telling people what they should think about you
Just an observation but...
Stop telling people what you are. Don’t tell them you’re lazy (even if you are), don’t tell them you’re not a morning person (even if you aren’t) don’t tell them your not a type of person who does this or that.
People start seeing you through those opinions. Allow them to make up their own minds. Let’s be honest. You don’t even know yourself that well. Sure you might dislike waking up early but don’t be so strict on your own identity. You aren’t your preferences.
Try to experiment with who you are. You’ll be surprised. You’ll only restrict yourself by telling people around you, who you are. mr-one-two , Priscilla Du Preez Report Final score: 21points POST Elin Noller Elin Noller Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Being open with your preferences is an important part of setting boundaries. 12 12points reply View more comments #21 You don’t need to win every banter. Take things lightly and have fun while accepting defeat. It makes you look humble, secure and more likeable overall whereas fighting constantly makes you look super insecure and intimidated. browngirlsays , Keira Burton Report Final score: 21points POST maya P.K maya P.K Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago some of them you need to win, but i agree. be a good sport 5 5points reply View more comments See Also on Bored Panda Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective #22 If you are scared of talking to new people because they might think you're weird: if you are friendly to them and they think you're weird or act cold towards you, THEY are the weird ones and it should not matter at that point regarding how they see you. [deleted] , Stephan Seeber Report Final score: 15points POST Susie Elle Susie Elle Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago If you feel like you're the weird one, take a good, deep look at the people around you and realize that there's a lot of people way weirder than you are ;) 8 8points reply View More Replies... View more comments #23 I just got a tip for all y’all guys struggling with dating.
So many guys make it their main goal to not act awkward. This takes away their confidence and restricts there personality. Confidence is the number one priority and holding back your personality shows a lack of confidence even if you aren’t being akward. If you take risks and try and be outgoing despite acting awkward, girls will like that way better because it makes you come off like you’re trying and you’re at least confident enough to take risks. robloxdruglord , Mikel Parera Report Final score: 15points POST Susie Elle Susie Elle Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago So be genuine! It's what women have been telling you since forever :') (joking, it's a good tip) 13 13points reply View More Replies... View more comments #24 Being well-dressed, having a good haircut (if you have hair), and looking after your hygiene are the first things you should be doing.
I'm a 37 year old man with ADHD. I've been struggling my entire life to make and retain friends, impress women, and not be a complete train wreck in social settings.
But instead of sharing my tales of woe, I am simply going to jump right into the remedy:
Invest time into your appearance.
Here's what happens: people notice you unconsciously. If they like what they see, YOU will feel that unconsciously. You will simply feel better around people, they'll like you more, and you'll be extended more grace in social settings.
What you want is low-cost passive advantages. You want an avalanche of those advantages, so that practice becomes a natural by-product of your existence.
This is my daily bathroom routine:
floss
brush with whitening toothpaste
rinse with whitening mouthwash
wash face deeply
moisturize
It takes around 10 minutes. I try to do it twice but I never do it less than once per day.
If I'm going out, I consider who I might see or who I might want to interact with. I think about how they'll be dressed. I try to style myself to look like the guys that will be there but with enough attention to detail that I'll stand out (ie. clothes that fit properly and match).
For a haircut, I just ask for something that looks modern and go every 2-3 weeks.
Bonus: 100% of the things I listed can be bought or at least you can get free advice.
Example: walk into a decent clothing store and tell them you want a few shirts and a pair of pants that fit. It's literally their job to help you and if you're embarrassed about asking, who f**king cares because they're never going to remember you anyway.
Same for haircut. Just tell them you want something that looks good.
For hygiene, just go to a skin care store and ask. Once again, give zero f**ks because they'll never remember you anyway. [deleted] , Taisiia Shestopal Report Final score: 13points POST LivingTheDream LivingTheDream Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Clothing... It took so long for me to learn that asking a person I thought looked good to help me pick out clothes was a good idea. 11 11points reply View more comments #25 If you feel uncomfortable telling people whats going on in your life you don't have to . You owe them nothing and they don't care as much as you think.
A lot of times we think we have to be honest but its not necessary. Especially if its a touchy subject or something you'd rather not talk about. For some reason we think we owe them an explanation but they really can't tell how our lives really are.
If say you got fired from a job and someone asks how you're doing you don't have to tell them you got fired. Just be brief like ya everythings good how about you? Most people aren't gonna know whether you're telling the truth or not. Just remember you're not at anyone's mercy. Take control. bayfarm , Jeremy Yap Report Final score: 12points POST Susie Elle Susie Elle Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago (edited) I'd advice against doing that all the time, to be honest. If you're always going to act like everything's okay even though your body language tells me otherwise, because you believe I have no interest in actually knowing how you feel, then we're also never really going to connect. That's fine, we're not obliged to connect of course, but just be aware that always hiding your feelings because you think nobody cares and want to protect yourself from being hurt, that's going to keep people away from you and thus potential help with whatever it is you're struggling with. 15 15points reply View More Replies... View more comments #26 PRO TIP: Don’t concern yourself with being interesting, concern yourself with being interested.
Become interested in the person you are talking to. Ask them about themselves, not just surface questions but really try to engage with them. For example: you have a beautiful house! do you consider this to be your forever home? if you could move anywhere else where would it be?
Focus on the other person and it’ll take the load off you. Just my two cents. WannabeWayne , Christina Morillo Report Final score: 8points POST Kristin Ingersoll Kristin Ingersoll Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Not sure why this is rated lower than "Repeat the last three words they said." This is simple, sound advice. 6 6points reply View more comments #27 Do you struggle with social anxiety? Go to a concert ALONE.
Find a concert near you for one of your favorite bands. Preferably music that you have a deep connection to and will be excited to see. Take no friends, go completely alone. Move through the crowd as you see fit, dance by yourself, and do nothing but focus on your personal enjoyment of the music.
Putting myself in this anonymous social setting allowed me to explore my social freedom without the fear of judgement. I was no longer worried if my friends thought I was a goofy or bad dancer. Once I learned how to enjoy my own company and let loose, people actually started approaching me! That didnt happen when I was all stiff and pent up.
People would ask me stuff like "what's the song they are playing?" Or "have they played such and such yet?" It was then a lot easier to spark up convo with these people between sets or songs since they had already broken the ice. Guys and girls!
So buy a ticket and get out there. You don't even have to talk to anyone! Just start by getting out and feeling OK being by yourself. munchauzen , Pien Muller Report Final score: 8points POST maya P.K maya P.K Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago BIG TIPPP: make sure you are and will be safe, asecally if you are a woman. carry around pepper spray! 7 7points reply View more comments #28 Wow. I recently learned a social skill that’s made all the difference in my conversations
I joined a professional fraternity this Spring. One of the skills they emphasize is to ask abstract, interesting questions that garner a positive response and could lead to similarities/connections between the two people. Instead of asking boring af questions like “what are you majoring in” or “ where are you from”, ask questions that require more detail such as “ what caused you to major in X” or “ How come you chose to attend Tallahassee/Florida State?” These questions require more than one word answers, and open up doors for more conversation. Perhaps you have something in common that you wouldn’t have known had you not asked. Once you have something in common. Boom. Instant connection. Then you build off that conversation by expanding upon that subject, or switch the conversation if needed. I’ve found that this is the hardest part of 1 on 1 conversation, and once you get past the initial hump of breaking the ice/not making it awkward, it makes the rest of the conversation so much easier. jrv53 , Medienstürmer Report Final score: 8points POST Daria B Daria B Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago I'd just add to the examples of the "boring questions" the ones that are too broad. For example "how is the food there"?, "how are the people there?" Ugh.... be more specific, please. Of course I'll tell you "they're good", and stop here. Also, I'd appreciate if you see me as me, not a specimen of whatever box you put me in, even if with good intentions. 3 3points reply View More Replies... View more comments #29 When someone insults you, they aren’t insulting YOU. They are insulting their current perception of their understanding of your identity which is NOT you.
I hope you feel more confident now. Masol_The_Producer , Liza Summer Report Final score: 6points POST Jaana Kaurisalo Jaana Kaurisalo Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Nah I'm pretty sure the guys attacking my looks do mean it. 6 6points reply View More Replies... View more comments #30 Today I turn 33. Here are 33 lessons I’ve learned about being better with people
1. Dialing up your energy a bit (+10%) when you’re being social makes it easier to have a good time.
2. Being curious will help you be interested in other people.
3. No one can mind-read. They have no clue what you’re thinking. You have no idea what they are thinking.
4. The spotlight effect is real. We all tend to overestimate the amount that other people notice and observe us.
5. It’s possible to view the same event 2 different ways. Ex: You say “Hi”. They brush past you instead of saying “Hi”. Negative view: “They must be mad at me.” Positive view: “They must be preoccupied, they probably didn’t hear me.”
6. First Impressions start BEFORE you open your mouth. Seeming approachable is key…
7. Master the “Resting happy face” = Have a slight smile on your face when you’re out at an event. Studies have shown smiling makes you happier. Which will lead to better interactions.
8. No need to overthink eye contact. Make eye contact for a few seconds, glance away, rinse and repeat.
9. Small talk is necessary. It helps you move from lighter topics to deeper topics so that you can build rapport.
10. During small talk, avoid the “Interrogation trap”. Balance questions with observations. (Great chance to give a meaningful compliment)
11. Keep a running list of social wins.** When you have a great interaction, make people laugh with a joke, etc. Write it down! Next time you’re feeling unsure, Look over your list to remind yourself that you have been successful in the past.
12. Try not to interrupt. If you accidentally interrupt, say “You were saying…” and bring up the last thing they said to get them back on track. (This shows that you were listening…you WERE listening, right?)
13. Listening is SO key. Listen and try to come up with observations and questions that show that you are 100% engaged.
14. Don’t stop listening when you come up with something to say. (I call this the “spring loaded response trap”) Be okay with letting go of what you were going to say…there’s always something else to say.
15. If you notice that the other person is mirroring your body language, that’s a great sign! This means that you two are in rapport and connecting. (You can trigger this by mirroring them a little first)
16. If you remember something cringey you did in the past. Try the 3 Fs: Flush, Fix, Forget. Flush: Take a breath and get some emotional distance from that memory. Fix: Is there anything you can change for next time? If so, make a note. Forget: Give yourself permission to forget it
17. Body Language: In most cases, people could take up more space, gesture more with their hands and stop fidgeting. These signal to others that you’re comfortable with yourself. (Which helps them feel comfortable too)
18. How to be interesting. Develop a wide range of interests. Know a little about a lot. This will make a wide range of topics and conversations 10x easier.
19. Be bold. Don’t wait for people to come to you. Approach people first. Introduce yourself first. Own the interaction.
20. The more comfortable you can make yourself, the more comfortable you can make others. (Important to balance with getting out of your comfort zone and growing as a person though)
21. Prep a quick summary/story from your weekend. People will ask, have something ready.
22. Saying “No” and crafting boundaries is important. People will treat you however you let them. Hard to know if people are stepping over boundaries if you aren’t sure what those boundaries are.
23. Saying “Yes” is important too. Not “Yes” to things you don’t want to do, but yes to new and exciting experiences and Jeffcallahan3 , Markus Spiske Report Final score: 6points POST Joey Marlin Joey Marlin Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago Number 16, remembering something cringy. I tell myself I wasn't thinking about it 10 minutes ago and so I have no need to think about it in10 minutes time. I remember that most people focus on what embarrassed them and they won't know you were embarrassed. Possibly won't remember the incident at all and then... I let it go. Dump the memory and focus on something else. It fades and then goes away again. 4 4points reply View more comments Note: this post originally had 41 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes. Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Add Your Answer! Not your original work? Add source Publish Change image Upload Photo Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB. Upload Upload Edit Image Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again. Render conversation
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Title Update Rokas Laurinavičius Rokas Laurinavičius Writer, BoredPanda staff Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 235 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to. Read more » Justinas Keturka Justinas Keturka Author, BoredPanda staff Justin is a photo editor at Bored Panda. He was fascinated with visual arts and arts in general for as long as he can remember. He was obsessed with playing and making music in his teens. After finishing high school, he took a gap year to work odd jobs and try to figure out what he wanted to do next. Finally, around 2016, he started learning how to use Photoshop and hasn't stopped since. He started working as a visual advertisement producer in 2017 and worked there for almost two years. In his spare time, he creates graphic collages and even had his first artwork exhibition at "Devilstone". Read more » Show All Contributors Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! Popular on Bored Panda Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Write comments POST Calyfan Yelood Calyfan Yelood Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago As someone who struggled heavily with social anxiety in the past, my biggest tip would be patience. Most people don't become the closest of friends overnight, so keep showing up. Especially in 1 on 1s this shows you care, even if you don't know how to relate to them. And for us who feel a bit more confident, just a reminder to look after those who may not have many friends ;-). And when you do, it's worth it! One of my closest friends were made from them seeing me alone and another from me seeing them alone! 2 2points reply M M M M Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This thread has so much walue. It should come as a book for regular reading. 1 1point reply POST Calyfan Yelood Calyfan Yelood Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago As someone who struggled heavily with social anxiety in the past, my biggest tip would be patience. Most people don't become the closest of friends overnight, so keep showing up. Especially in 1 on 1s this shows you care, even if you don't know how to relate to them. And for us who feel a bit more confident, just a reminder to look after those who may not have many friends ;-). And when you do, it's worth it! One of my closest friends were made from them seeing me alone and another from me seeing them alone! 2 2points reply M M M M Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 10 months ago This thread has so much walue. It should come as a book for regular reading. 1 1point reply Popular on Bored Panda I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. 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