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Originally Posted by improver  How do I just say hi to a stranger..someone I don't know?.. That might look awkward, or he/she might think I'm a weirdo..at least that's what I think. |
Let me tell you from experience that that is not the case at all.
Most "strangers" are pretty used to saying hi to people. In fact, I think if you make eye contact with a stranger they almost expect it.
In fact, I'll go even further and say that the times I've made eye contact with a stranger and for whatever reason I didn't say hi first or they looked away before I could say hi, I've thought of them as being a bit rude. I know that's not the case, but it's a thought that pops up into my head when it happens.
You've constructed your reality around your beliefs. You believe that saying hi to a stranger is awkward and thus you make the situation awkward. I, on the other hand, believe that NOT saying hi is actually rude, and thus that's the reality I create.
Neither one of those beliefs are inherently right. But only one of those beliefs is useful in becoming more social.