Going Unscripted - Deepstash
Conversation Starters

Learn more about communication with this collection

How to ask open-ended questions

How to avoid awkward silences

How to show interest in others

Conversation Starters

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Going Unscripted

We use scripted conversations to be on the safe side, as we fear that saying any unscripted word can trigger something unwanted in the other person.

While scripted conversations are efficient, they deny us the actuality of the other person, the stranger who may be just a friend we haven’t met yet.

By talking off-script or replying in a unique, unheard of manner, we make it comfortable for the stranger to mirror us and say something similar.

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7.1K reads

MORE IDEAS ON THIS

The Art Of Listening

  • While talking to strangers, we need to signal our engagement by summarizing or paraphrasing what the other person has said, to show that we were listening attentively.
  • We need to amplify our visible engagement with eye contact and nodding, as the other person does no...

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5.52K reads

From Really Bad To Okayish

Most of us are laughably bad at striking up good conversations with strangers, and can hope to improve ourselves if we learn what all is lacking to break the ice.

The conversation is mostly initiated by small talk, the opener that gets everything started. Most people hate s...

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9.07K reads

The Art Of Listening: The Echo

Another way to signal your attentive listening is to simply echo what the other person is saying.

Example:

The Stranger says: At that moment, I felt frustrated.

You: You were frustrated.

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6.49K reads

Triggering Conversations In A Suspicious World

Talking to strangers is worth it, as it offers a certain profound joy, a real communion. If more people start talking to strangers, our broken society can be healed.

  • The hardest thing about talking to strangers is the initiation of the conversation.
  • On...

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10.1K reads

Talking To Strangers

Talking To Strangers

According to psychologists, talking to strangers can be taxing on the brain, and even small talk can seem stressful, tiring and cognitively demanding.

On the flip side, talking to strangers is a kind of workout that boosts our mental performance.

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16.6K reads

Being Human

Asking something specific and humorous to a stranger is a risk, but if the timing is right, one can give a great first impression about being complex, empathetic, humourous and human.

Once the stranger recognizes you as a human, a bond is created and real conversat...

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Doing Conversation Starters Differently

  • When at a party, don’t ask ‘What do you do?’, instead, ask ‘What do you really want to do but cannot?’ or ‘Has your day lived up to your expectations?’
  • When a store clerk asks you ‘can I help you?’, reply with ‘can I help you?’

The point is to be different an...

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7.41K reads

The Stranger On The Subway: Asking Questions

  • Asking more questions, especially follow-up questions, is more than just for gathering information. 
  • They help create deep, emotional bonds and make the other person feel better as they are being listened to, understood, validated and cared for.
  • Most people don’t ask enough q...

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5.47K reads

Helpful Techniques To Talk Better With Strangers

  1. Proximity: Suddenly meeting a stranger and asking something will almost certainly fail. One has to be in the proximity of the stranger for a while to be accepted.
  2. Don’t Make It An Interview: Being too interested in the other person c...

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Listening For A Higher Purpose

Listening can be for:

  • Information
  • What we know about
  • What we want to experience.

We need to work more into the deep levels of listening for motivations, values and feelings.

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Talking About The Weather: One Of The Most Common Conversation Starters

Many people hate it when the small talk is of the weather, but fail to understand that it is actually a kind of code that helps people overcome their inhibitions and be ready to actually talk to the other person.

Once the person who has been approached feels comfortable, real talk...

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7.83K reads

Why We Don’t Talk To Strangers

The main reason we don’t talk to strangers is simply because we don’t talk to strangers. People are simply not supposed to violate the norm of leaving other people alone at back alleys, parks and subways.

The trick is to acknowledge this handicap and pre-frame the ...

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6.07K reads

CURATED FROM

CURATED BY

rosaliep

Stashing about leadership and communication. Avid reader.

Conversation starters to connect with anyone you meet.

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A Small Step For Us, A Giant Leap For Friendship

If we take small leaps on a regular basis, we can kick start a compounding effect where each new friend can push other acquaintances who are highly-qualified friend candidates, as they already have good references.

The small risk of asking to do something carries with it an aversi...

Dropping Hints

Dropping Hints

Instead of saying something outright and out loud, a partner tries to nudge the other in the right direction of figuring it out.

It's a sign that you two are not comfortable communicating openly and clearly. A person has no reason to be passive-aggressive if they feel saf...

How to talk to strangers

  • If you're together in the same place, you have something in common. If we can be aware that others also feel uncomfortable, we can think about what we can do to make them feel comfortable with us.
  • Ask people how they know the host or how they got ...

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