humor-intended musings that veer into the metaphilosophical

How to start a conversation with almost anybody —

pro tips from a recovering imposter syndrome convo starter wannabe

drawing by moi

1) Notice if they want to talk to you or not. Certain telltale signs include whether or not they are running away from you as soon as you open your mouth.

2) If they haven’t run away, next step is to find something in common to talk about. the weather is overdone, so why not start with something more unique like religion or politics? Just kidding.

here’s a pro tip: notice something about what they’re wearing. Compliment them on their accoutrement if you want but you don’t have to. Just noticing it can draw attention to the fact that you two are human beings existing on the same planet in the same time and you are making an effort to form a human connection with them and if they have even a shred of decency they will reciprocate because that is what human beings do: we try to be a part of a group. It goes back to our hunter/gatherer days. work with me, people.

3) Have a normal conversation. Really, it’s that simple. I think the hardest part about starting convos with random strangers for most people (including me) is getting over the internal obstacle of thinking that no one wants to be bothered with you but the reality is that we all DO appreciate some level of human interaction as long as it’s not creepy or overburdened with expectations, so why not try pick some low-hanging fruit once in a while to make our time on this earth a little more pleasant and break the ice with someone you’d normally never see yourself talking to?

4) adios