Talking to Strangers

[NotesMaeve]

Yeah, our parents warn us not to do it!

I love talking to them and am so amazed how sweet/positive people are. Such a freeing experience and 99/100 people are just terrific. It's really loosened me up with people and made me more comfortable and positive. I'll randomly shout nice comments if I like someone's clothing or dog or whatever, and they probably think I'm mad, but it's really sort of fun to watch people be surprised, then very nice. Anyone else do this?

[Angela]

You shout your random comments!?

[NotesMaeve]

Across the street, en passant. Generally, I try to keep it at a dull roar as far as tone.

[Freelancer]

Keep it up, way to few people talk to strangers!!

[carenkh]

Yes, I think I drive my oldest son (he's 14) crazy 'cause I'll just go up and start talking to people. Even when he was younger, I didn't tell him not to talk to strangers... I said strangers are just friends we haven't met yet.

I think any time there's an opportunity for connection, take it! It can only make the world a better place.

[Love]

Good for you, making the world a friendlier place!
I'm working on this, too.

[bradb]

I'm totally into talking to strangers. I've probably had no experience more life-changing than making a habit of this.

Heck, I was on a date last night with a girl I met on Saturday night. I won't make any long-term predictions, but I had fun. I think my "pick up line" was to walk up to her and her friend and say "So how are you guys doing?" My other "lines" include "Hi", "How's it going?", "You guys look interesting", and other carefully-rehearsed social dynamo.

Talking to strangers has given me so many insights, like:

* It's amazing how many girls seem overjoyed when you talk to them. It's like they were just waiting for you to approach them. Many times, they seem almost awestruck that a guy would approach in such a socially-risky situation, like saying hi as she passes by on a crowded sidewalk, or walking up to a group of her and seven of her friends on the street to see what's going on.

* Rejection doesn't hurt. In fact, I find that even when I get ignored (which is not uncommon if you say hi to someone walking in the opposite direction on the sidewalk), it pumps me up. I feel the flow of energy that comes from taking action and living dangerously. Even if I get hit with a particularly nasty rejection, I don't care, because I'm just out to emit radioactive social energy and gravitate towards only those who amuse me. I don't take ownership of (and rarely even acknowledge) negative responses.

* Most people are really cool. Guys, girls, everyone. They love to be chatted up and are often really friendly.

I could go on.

In case you haven't seen this yet, I wrote a blog post related to this:

The Joy of Living Dangerously

Have fun.

[moviestar]

Hi!
Awesome post!

[RT Wolf]

Ever wonder if those strangers parents told them not to talk to strangers? Most of hte people I meet are pretty nice, not unlike myself.

Life is good.

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by bradb

I've probably had no experience more life-changing than making a habit of this. Talking to strangers has given me so many insights

Thanks Brad, pretty awesome to hear this actually.

[Old Soul]

I am not you
you are not me
Yet I think I know you
by our shared humanity
I heard you laughing
therefore you feel
thankyou for showing me
that you are real
sometimes people
seem so burdened
so distant or plastic
yet underneath we can love
and this to me is fantastic
so if we pass each other
on a street
can we exchange a smile, a word

I think it is great that you do this~, maybe it was you shouted to me the other day when I was running and it made me smile
from a shared heartbeat:-)

[UHF]

Originally Posted by NotesMaeve

Across the street, en passant. Generally, I try to keep it at a dull roar as far as tone.

This is the funniest thing I've read in a while. Good for you.

[bradb]

Following up on my earlier reply, I've had an idea for a blog article specifically on the topic of talking to strangers for a while, so I wrote and released it today:

Social Skydiving: The Art of Talking to Strangers

Enjoy.

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by bradb

Following up on my earlier reply, I've had an idea for a blog article specifically on the topic of talking to strangers for a while, so I wrote and released it today:

Social Skydiving: The Art of Talking to Strangers

Enjoy.

Nice blog.

Are you still working with Ruby on Rails?

[bradb]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

Nice blog.

Are you still working with Ruby on Rails?

Thanks, glad you like it.

Yes, Rails is my weapon of choice. It's also the technology behind 30zzz.

[Dan.Linehan]

Looks like wordpress, nice.

[Ree]

Do you ever think that maybe a stranger is not really a stranger