Start with a statement: “This painting really confuses me” or “I can’t believe how crowded the train is today.” Statements are invitations to share curiosities, Nightingall says.

And whether you’re asking a question, replying, or making a statement, be authentic, she adds. “People want ...

It shifts the focus to the other person and should make them feel good, Sandstrom explains.

When it comes to our anxieties about having conversations with people we don’t know, we tend to be in our heads a lot, overthinking what we’re doing wrong or what we...

Ask questions. Is the person wearing an article of clothing that’s noteworthy? Why did they decide to come to whatever event you’re both at?

Even if it’s uncomfortable, be brave and just do it, Sandstrom says. The person is probably going to like you more than you think and you’re both probably going to enjoy it more than you think.

Sandstrom says in her experience, she would describe the stages of having a conversation with a stranger as follows:

First, they look at you as if asking, “Do I know you?” Then there’s recognition they don’t know you.

Then it’s, “Wait, are you a weirdo?”

The...

The more you have, the more likely that you’re going to have good conversations, Sandstrom says. You get better at asking better questions, and answering with more interesting responses. “There’s some skill, but its as much confidence that come from just doing it more often,” she...

People want to get the real you so they can express the real them.

At the very least, you’re in the same place and experiencing the same weather. But don’t be afraid to dig deeper and find more interesting commonalities:

• maybe you’re from the same place,
• maybe you have a mutual friend,
• maybe you have a shared hobby, or