I've never had any "Socialization".. what should I do?

[Wunderfolday]

......................deleted by me....

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by Wunderfolday

deleted at the request of original poster

This forum is probably a good start, though obviously you mean "real world" socialization.

That's one of the reasons that I'm glad I went to college, but short of going that route there's quite a few other ways to go about it.

My ex-wife was a dog trainer, and emphasized the importance of a properly socialized pooch. It's basically the same deal with humans. Her mantra was that you had to get your dog around all sorts of different people in different places and in all sorts of different situations. That's something that I've always prided myself on--I'm able to go to a trendy nightclub, a Mensa meeting or a biker bar and co-exist.

So the best advice I can give you is--to paraphrase Nike--to "just do it". I'm sure Steve would recommend Toastmasters. If you're starting a business it might be helpful (depending on what sort of business you're running) to join the Chamber of Commerce or local professional groups. You no doubt have hobbies and interests, and you could probably find groups of people that share your interest. If you don't have any interests that lend themselves well to this, find some things that you'd like to learn about and/or cultivate an interest in and pursue them. Take some classes--wine tasting, painting, or whatever. Or take up a new sport--cycling, fencing, boxing, etc.--and you'll meet a different subset of society in each.

Since I've been divorced and moved to my current home, my best 'socialization' has come at my local cigar store. I've met a number of close friends there, and have been able to socialize--and network--with people from all walks of life. I've met some of the most powerful people in the state, along with some of the most unusual. The cigar culture is sort of unique since it has its own camaraderie, the cigar smoking process facilitates conversation, and it attracts a cross section of society as I noted. If you're not into cigars I'd look for events that attract a broad socio-economic demographic.

Another good source of socialization for me is the process of socializing my dogs--I walk my dogs around the university campus here and in the downtown area. Usually a day doesn't go by without a few people striking up a conversation with me. The fact that a good percentage of these are a) attractive and b) female doesn't hurt either

You didn't say where you lived but obviously you'll have more opportunities to socialize with a broad range of people in a larger city or, as in my case, a college town or similar environment. That's essentially the reason people live in large cities in the first place, of course...

I could come up with dozens of other ideas, but I think you get the point. The trick to keep in mind, however, is that your interactions with other people will be a lot more pleasant--and in the longterm, productive--if you take a genuine interest in them. If you're just seeking "socialization" as a means to grow your business you'll come off as transparent and insincere. That's my primary advice to people on networking--to take a genuine interest in helping others and start hooking them up without regard to what's in it for you. Once you invest in others in this manner you'll start to find plenty of people willing to reciprocate. Whether its the "law of attraction" of just human nature I'm not sure but it works. It's the same thing on a social level, whether you're doing it for friendship, looking for a romantic partner, or for business purposes--start taking a genuine interest in other people and the rest is easy.

[Mayo]

If you can go to local entrepreneurship clubs, anything that has to do with business schooling (excerpt the MLM (^_^) ) is good for your business as is good for your social skills. In fact any kind of study environment where you can comunicate with other like minded people that push you in your desired path.

[Holden McNeil]

How to get a Social Life

That whole site is a gem, really (it changed it's name??)

Anyway, peace.