I Am Alive! 🌱
"So... that weather huh. It's pretty hot right. Yeah, your right." And then an intense silence followed with awkward starting in different directions. Each second mentally hurting more than the last. That's the agony of small talk and I'm certain we've all been there. But how do you avoid this?
Well, I'm no social expert, nor am I a psychologist, but here's what I do know about asking questions and answering them. If you intend of asking a question to start up a conversation, never ask a question that is yes or no, or requires a single word answer. Be sure to ask a question that requires an explanation of some sort. Once you get an answer don't just hop to the next question either. See if you can ask follow up questions. Be sure that you are genuinely interested though. Fake interest usually shows in your reactions and you will not be aware of it.
And then there's giving an answer when the question is on the opposite side of the conversation. I find that just being brutally honest can spark some genuine conversations. If someone asks you how you are doing, actually tell them exactly how you are doing. Tell them about that extra mortgage you have to take, or how your attention whore of a dog is stressing you out. They won't expect it, and if done right you will connect on a deeper level.
But of course if you don't like the person and don't want to talk to him/her, by all means give the short answer and walk away. 😅
Now for an appropriate daily funny image to balance out all the drama.
