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According to legal consultant, communication coach and author David Parnell, being a people's person on the surface seems like a combination of features such as having a good personality or being a good listener, but when you start to look closer at what actually makes one likable, you notice that more often than not, these attributes come in the form of effective, accurate and persuasive communication.

Which is exactly what the subreddit r/SocialSkills is all about. As the moderators of this online community say, it's "a place to share your favorite social skills tips, ask for advice, or offer encouragement to others on their social skills journey." Since its creation in 2009, the subreddit has grown to a 2.7 million-big army and has collected plenty of useful information. Here are some of its most-upvoted posts.

#1

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group I have recently come to realise that cringing is good.
If you ever think about some of your past mistakes and you start cringing, realise that you are cringing because you now have the insight to do things differently. Acknowledge that you are allowed to make mistakes and celebrate your growth.

necolleshinori , Hermes Rivera Report

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snipergun
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is absolutely greatest thing for me to realize. No need to punish yourself. You did your share, it's in past. Learn and move on just give it right place.

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#2

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If somebody is rude to you, ask them to repeat themselves. Here's why...
"sorry?" "excuse me what was that?" "can you please repeat what you said?" in a calm confused tone

They are most likely to either rephrase what they said or say it in a nicer way.

Most people feel the guilt kick in once they get another chance of repeating what they said before, they get this little feeling of either 'what is wrong in what I said?' or give them a slight realization of 'wait.. There seems to be consequences' .

This also makes the people around look down on the person that was offensive shifting the focus at them once again l.

ray7667 , Etienne Boulanger Report

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the situation, though. Sometimes the rude person might take it as a provocation.

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#3

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group People who ask you what you were going to say after you're interrupted are the best.
Just had this happen to me and it made me feel like someone actually cares about what I have to say!

bbysnks , RODNAE Production Report

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aww.... not to brag, but I am that person. And I even repeat the topic, helping them to get back on track. ♡

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#4

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Stop trying to be liked by everybody. You don't even like everybody.
I say this but can't even apply it to myself. What a clown.

lukeedookee , cottonbro Report

#5

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If you think you are boring read this
My heart breaks every time I see somebody call themselves boring. You're looking at it all wrong and that's why you still feel the same way. Please read this and I'll try and prove it to you.

People don't care if you're interesting. They care how you make them feel.

Heres a thought experiment. Picture yourself alone at a fancy cocktail party that you have to attend for work. You would like to talk to people but you aren't sure what to say. At different times during the evening two different people approach you and make conversation. Heres how it goes:

Bob approaches you. You find out he just bought a boat. A 35ft with twin engines. He wrecked his old one racing it off of the coast of Portugal last year and almost died. Hes been doing kettle bell workouts to get his body back in shape and its working great. He thinks the wine they served at the cocktail party is s**t and he bets they don't have a single real sommelier in the building. Hes going to do something about that actually, because he knows the guy that owns the place. He leaves his number on a napkin and says lets get coffee before he answers his Bluetooth headset and runs off.

Larry approaches you. He said hes feeling a little shy and he noticed that you were standing there alone. He doesn't care for big parties full of strangers. He asks if you like Dr Who. You arent really but you say you have heard of it and there is an awkward pause. He asks you what you do for fun and you say you love doing archery and renaissance fairs. Hes never done anything like that but hes interested to know more. Do they do those around here? What time of year? Do you have to dress up or can you just go? When's the next one? Larry says if you ever need someome to go with you that hes down and he asks if he can add you on Facebook.

Ok. Who are you going to call? Bob or Larry? Was it more important that they were interesting or was it more important that they were interested in you. You don't have to relate to everything. Fight that urge. Just be interested. If you make somebody else feel interesting, they will think the world of you.

I have cool hobbies. I make knives and tools in my metal shop. I like to take hallucinogens and go to music festivals. I don't talk about them, people dont give a s**t and that doesnt hurt my feelings. Nobody is ever going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling from you because you have cool hobby

Most people are shy when it comes to making friends. Some people do walk around just bored and disinterested in others. Learn to recognize them and pay them no energy.

Take some time to appreciate yourself. Stop calling yourself boring. You arent a f**king jester here to entertain people. Youre an entire human being with just as much validity as anybody else. Love yourself for who you are, and help other people feel good about themselves and you will never feel lonely again.

Just remember to ask "what do you do for fun?"

tigerjams , Jorge Alvarez Report

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#6

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group I stopped letting people walk all over me, and it cost me my entire friend group.

I was friends with these people for 7 years, and was so people pleasing to the point of toxicity. It was exhausting, but I couldn't think of any other way to make and keep friends. One of the girls consistently put me down, with "jokes" that weren't really jokes, and got upset whenever I tried to poke fun at her too. She was extremely stubborn and never admitted that she might have been wrong. I couldn't have a normal conversation with her anymore. She was the "leader", did this with everyone else, too.

Eventually I woke up and started to set boundaries. She didn't like that. Started to distance herself from me, disinvite me from social functions, and talk behind my back. The others would reach out to me individually and I really tried to stay friends with them, but they always hung out in the group setting with the "leader". I eventually faded away. It hurt but maybe it's for the best.

Don't let yourself get walked all over for the sake of having friends. I haven't fully recovered yet, but I know myself enough now to chose people that treat me like a decent human being.

paper_dog_dio , Siavash Ghanbari Report

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Joey Marlin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does hurt. I tried turning the tables and making similar remarks back a couple of times and the look on their face when they first realised was priceless. Sadly, because being unkind comes naturally to them, they will always be better at it.

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#7

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If you are average or less in social skills, DO NOT talk to strangers, this is for advanced social butterflies, but DO THIS INSTEAD
If your goal is to gEt OuT oF yOuR cOmFoRt ZoNe, then sure, go talk to strangers, do bungee jumping, parachute jumping and etc.

But if you want to find friends and build/extend your social circle, then you 100% need to join a hobby group/volunteering/sport groups.

For example, I went to volunteer about the cleaning of a small village. I absolutely had to talk to the other volunteers because we had to collaborate.

Or go join hiking groups. Nothing is more bonding to a group of strangers than spending time with them in complete seclusion in the nature for hours.

I want to thank the kind people of this subreddit who gave me this advice and I am just passing it forward to someone who needs it.

PhatPlonker , Dylan Gillis Report

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Donkey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OP's point is correct, but 'a group of strangers than spending time with them in complete seclusion' is probably not the best example!

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#8

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group True friends are happy when you improve. Fake friends are afraid.
Reminder.

blackswany , Matheus Ferrero Report

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Joey Marlin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had the fake type who would belittle me if I got compliments. We had such a laugh together that it took a while to see the truth, but then I realised how much harm they were causing. Real friends would be pleased for you or swallow down their jealousy, not attempt to make you feel it wasn't worth having. Took a while to get over it, as well as to realise no friend is better than harmful friend.

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#9

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Know when to stop talking. This is the difference between being an awkward person and an annoying person.
Usually, when people start giving very dry responses, or straight up start to walk away, that means that you’ve been talking for a while. People who are awkward can still function on a social level, because they know when to stop talking. As soon as you start picking up these social cues your world can change.

xXSpaghett_StealerXx , Jessica Da Rosa Report

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Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom used to call her sister-law every Thursday. It's a long story how that got started because they couldn't stand each other, but, my aunt didn't know when to stop talking and what she would always talk about was very critical and negative. So, my mom would simply pull the phone away from her ear so she really didn't hear much. Then every once in awhile she'd put the phone back up and say "uh huh. Mmhm. Uh huh" and move the phone again. My aunt would go on and on and on. She never picked up that my mom wasn't listening to one single word.

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#10

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group The biggest lesson I learned this year Is not to force anything. Conversation, love, friendships. Anything that is forced is not worth fighting for. Whatever flows flows, whatever crashes crashes. It is what it is.

Freezy_187 , Ron Lach Report

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Meta Veldkamp
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen a quote about this ;-) love is like a fart, if you have to force it it's probably s**t

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#11

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If a friend asks you to hang out and you are busy the first couple of times they ask, if you want to hang out with them, take the initiative and suggest a time and date yourself.

This might some kinda obvious but you’d be surprised how often this doesn’t occur to people! The other person has done most of the hard work by showing a willingness to hang out, so if you want to meet them you just need to say when. Don’t just say “I am sure we will find a date soon”, do what you can to make it concrete.

As someone with mild social anxiety, I always appreciate when people do this as it means I know they aren’t just being polite when they say they want to meet up.

docju , Priscilla Du Preez Report

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. Learnt this one not too late, but wish I did sooner. When you're interacting with someone you want to keep, don't stop at "we should hang out sometimes", but, if the situation allows it, get it out spontaneously and suggest a date, like "I'm free this *day*, how about *place*"? See how they react. If they accept you, but can't accept your date, they will suggest something else, or they will reach out to you later to either confirm or refuse, or suggest something else. If they just deny, maybe they don't feel about you the same and that's fine too.

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#12

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group “Can I give you my number?” instead of “Can I have your number?”
This is some advice that mostly directed to the guys of this sub.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where many women have to stay on guard to avoid, for lack of a better term, weird perverts and would-be attackers. That is simply a fact. And it needs to be addressed, but this sub isn’t for dismantling the patriarchy.

So, an indirect issue that arises from this much larger issue is the fact that many guys come across as weird and creepy when trying to flirt, even though it may be completely harmless. And that’s why I never ask a girl for her number.

Instead, I ask if I can give her my number.

There’s a very subtle difference between the two and that difference is giving the woman the power to contact you rather than asking for that power yourself. That way, she can politely accept and then decide later if she would actually like to speak to you again or not. Whereas asking for her number really puts her on the spot and, if she says yes, removes her sense of distance simply because you can now contact her at will.

This is how I go about getting into contact with girls I meet and would like to start getting to know better and I’ve found that it generally works a lot more often than asking for their number.

ThatOneJakeGuy , Porapak Apichodilok Report

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a woman, I think this is good advice, not only for flirting and not only for guys. To think of it, it's a bit like giving out a business card, but in a friendlier way. Slightly off-topic. I'm not so good at remembering numbers, so it took me a while to remember my own phone number as well. In fact, I remember my phone number because I memorised it as a word, I have this physical speech apparatus memory of my phone number, rather than the numbers themselves, so when I have to give it in a different language, it takes me a little time to translate it. Anyway, I was saying. This random friendly guy encountered in public transportation asks me my number. Me, spontaneously and in all honesty: "oh, I don't know my number, sorry". His reaction was as if I were lying. At this point, my stop arrived and I rushingly excused myself to get off. Only later did I give it second thoughts of what was really going on, probably.

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LivingTheDream
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm Gen X and this was drilled into me back in the day. Ended up married from doing this once... which is why I never give my number out anymore.

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Donae Sommerfeld Lugo
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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JD Lee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m a woman. I can’t tell you how much this would have released my anxiety. Creepers are a real thing. And you do feel powerless when a guy asks for your number. They DO have all the power then. Giving a lady a real choice to call you or not/ be interested or not would have definitely put them at the top of the list. Being considerate & a gentleman is a rare thing these days. It won’t go unnoticed.

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#13

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group 3 Conversational Tricks to Excite Anyone
One of the most common problems people struggle with is conversational skills.

Technology rewires our brains to think in terms of memes, posts, and videos, so we’re losing out on real world talk!

When you struggle with conversational skills, you feel anxious, creating a downward spiral in where you miss out on the meaningful connection you know you need.

Here are 3 antidotes you can use now to make your conversations EXCITING.

Number one: “The Mirror”

This trick is so simple that you won’t believe it until you try it.

When someone finishes saying something, repeat the last 3-5 words they said in the exact same way. I’ve done this for minutes on end, it’s actually hilarious.

Here’s what happens: someone will finish saying something like, “yeah so I really want to travel to Europe.”

Then you repeat: travel to Europe?

And INSTANTLY the person will go, “yeah I wanna [explain reasons here].” You can keep doing this until you find something to add onto.

Why I love it: sometimes I’m tired and just want to listen, and this trick let’s you do just that! It also cuts through surface-level talk and forces people to open up and explain deeper motivations.

Number two: “Bold Statements.”

Now that you’ve got the person opening up, you should be feeling a bit more confident.

At this point, you probably are thinking of some questions to ask them. Problem? Endless questions are SO 1900’s.

Instead of saying, “what do you do for work?” Say: “I think you’re a doctor.”

The recipient will go: “What?!? Why’s that.” Or, your guess will be right, and you’ll blow everyone’s minds!

Then you answer by giving a legitimate reason to back up your statement. For example, “you speak in a very formal & articulate manner which reminds me of my doctor.”

This trick opens up an exciting discussion where you both are operating on a deeper level instead of boring, surface level “What do you do” type questions.

Note: the statement should be at least slightly accurate, and not come off as “judgy.” It should be more fun, and always be a compliment…

Number three: “Share the Love”

Put on a smile because you’re about to spread some good energy. Everyone LOVES praise, so why not give it out, especially when it’s well-deserved?

If someone is cute- tell them. If someone is hilarious- confess it. You’re hurting no one.

As I hinted at you can combine the previous trick with this one. Example:

“Wow, you’re really smart. You must be a doctor or something!” (say with a smile)

The person will blush from happiness, and your guess will either be right and they’ll go “OMG you’re awesome” OR they’ll go, “thank you, I’m actually a [job].”

Then you can use the first tip and go, “oh you’re a [job]” and they’ll start elaborating about the deeper reasons they chose that profession. 📷(:

Now, get out there! This works with everyone- coworkers, family, friends, elevator talks. Go try it!

[deleted] , Charles Deluvio Report

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Kimi Tomminello
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would be VERY uncomfortable with almost all of this. Overdoing the compliments and interest can come off as very creepy.

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#14

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Does anyone else oscillate between wanting to be invisible and wishing they weren’t so lonely.
There are periods where I really want to make friends and am encouraged to hang out with people and make small talk, but then there are days when I’m really tired and don’t have the energy or interest to have quality conversations and I would really just rather keep to myself.

After those days when I don’t feel like talking or hanging out, having conversations with people feels really awkward and I have a sense of guilt for not having been able to fight through my fatigue in order to talk to them.

AsthenDiscovery , Felipe Cespedes Report

#15

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group You're not alone in feeling alone. 22 percent of millenials say they have "no friends" - 30 percent feel 'lonely'.

If you're struggling with depression or having a hard time making friends, keep in mind that it's not abnormal. It's easy to look at social media and wonder why everyone is having fun except for you - but it's simply not the case.

If you're able to accept that you're struggling and realize it's a normal behavior, it will help you to stop beating yourself up so that you can feel better and begin to make progress.

AltPerspective , Bob Price Report

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could be wrong, but I think, at this point, nobody thinks that's abnormal. It's the opposite. We all know this is normal, we accept it and we're all too scared to make that first step.

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#16

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Why do some people feel the need to comment on how someone is shy or more quiet than others in a public?
I get that comment at work all the time and I’m a nurse..like brah leave me alone...I do my job just fine, I’ve accepted I’m more quiet and have a smaller social circle and I’m fine with it. just bc I’m not outgoing and loud like you doesn’t mean you have to point that out in a group setting. That just makes me more a little insecure and less confident at work like that’s not a compliment in this extroverted world and makes everyone uncomfortable.

f**kucuty234 , Priscilla Du Preez Report

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Joey Marlin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So agree with this. Just stop making personal comments. Even a compliment might be double edged to the receiver. My father only valued me for my looks and called me stupid. People commenting on my looks today brings back unhappy memories of not mattering for my brain. I know for most it will be a simply received compliment but you can't know that for sure, can you? I prefer to focus on what people do, not what they look like.

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#17

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group It's okay to always be the one to initiate contact with a friend. Just because they don't reach out to you first doesn't mean they don't like you or want to hang out with you.
It's okay to always be that friend who starts up the conversation. Never assume they don't like you or don't want to spend time with you just because they don't text you first or invite you to things. Don't ever tell yourself that without evidence to back it up.

It's a two-way street and they want to feel accepted and feel like they belong just like you do, at least to some degree. You reaching out tells the other person that they are important to you. This boosts your self-esteem for stepping out of your comfort zone and helps them feel more confident in themselves. Double win and you get to spend time with a friend.

wesley_mccreary , Christian Wiediger Report

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Beth S
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I might have a fallacy in my thinking, but if I am always the one initiating contact I tend to eventually stop reaching out. I believe that reciprocation is very important in relationships. You cannot be the one making all the effort - or should not be the one making all the effort.

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#18

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If you feel like you’re losing control over your life, try this: pick one thing you’ve been avoiding and FORCE YOURSELF TO DO IT. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the sense of confidence, agency, and power returns to you.
It can be anything from...

Cleaning up your room

Sending that text

Calling that person up

Responding to that email

Picking up that book

Writing that letter

Signing up for that course

Walking into the gym

Etc.

It’s going to be hard as hell (that’s built-up mental resistance) but TRUST ME, once you push through it, the other side is bliss.

The door is already open, you just have to walk through it.

Tousen71 , Tirachard Kumtanom Report

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maya P.K
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im going to go do that insanly hard overdue history assignment! wish me luck <3

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#19

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group When you meet someone, anyone, take 1-2 second, and just lock eyes. Then hit them with a big smile. You will get a giant smile back, with a rush of positive emotions. Works every time. People will always remember how you make them feel.

rsa861217 , Shiny Diamond Report

#20

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Stop telling people what they should think about you
Just an observation but...

Stop telling people what you are. Don’t tell them you’re lazy (even if you are), don’t tell them you’re not a morning person (even if you aren’t) don’t tell them your not a type of person who does this or that.

People start seeing you through those opinions. Allow them to make up their own minds. Let’s be honest. You don’t even know yourself that well. Sure you might dislike waking up early but don’t be so strict on your own identity. You aren’t your preferences.

Try to experiment with who you are. You’ll be surprised. You’ll only restrict yourself by telling people around you, who you are.

mr-one-two , Priscilla Du Preez Report

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Elin Noller
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being open with your preferences is an important part of setting boundaries.

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#21

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group You don’t need to win every banter. Take things lightly and have fun while accepting defeat. It makes you look humble, secure and more likeable overall whereas fighting constantly makes you look super insecure and intimidated.

browngirlsays , Keira Burton Report

#22

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If you are scared of talking to new people because they might think you're weird: if you are friendly to them and they think you're weird or act cold towards you, THEY are the weird ones and it should not matter at that point regarding how they see you.

[deleted] , Stephan Seeber Report

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Susie Elle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you feel like you're the weird one, take a good, deep look at the people around you and realize that there's a lot of people way weirder than you are ;)

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#23

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group I just got a tip for all y’all guys struggling with dating.
So many guys make it their main goal to not act awkward. This takes away their confidence and restricts there personality. Confidence is the number one priority and holding back your personality shows a lack of confidence even if you aren’t being akward. If you take risks and try and be outgoing despite acting awkward, girls will like that way better because it makes you come off like you’re trying and you’re at least confident enough to take risks.

robloxdruglord , Mikel Parera Report

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Susie Elle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So be genuine! It's what women have been telling you since forever :') (joking, it's a good tip)

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#24

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Being well-dressed, having a good haircut (if you have hair), and looking after your hygiene are the first things you should be doing.
I'm a 37 year old man with ADHD. I've been struggling my entire life to make and retain friends, impress women, and not be a complete train wreck in social settings.

But instead of sharing my tales of woe, I am simply going to jump right into the remedy:

Invest time into your appearance.

Here's what happens: people notice you unconsciously. If they like what they see, YOU will feel that unconsciously. You will simply feel better around people, they'll like you more, and you'll be extended more grace in social settings.

What you want is low-cost passive advantages. You want an avalanche of those advantages, so that practice becomes a natural by-product of your existence.

This is my daily bathroom routine:

floss

brush with whitening toothpaste

rinse with whitening mouthwash

wash face deeply

moisturize

It takes around 10 minutes. I try to do it twice but I never do it less than once per day.

If I'm going out, I consider who I might see or who I might want to interact with. I think about how they'll be dressed. I try to style myself to look like the guys that will be there but with enough attention to detail that I'll stand out (ie. clothes that fit properly and match).

For a haircut, I just ask for something that looks modern and go every 2-3 weeks.

Bonus: 100% of the things I listed can be bought or at least you can get free advice.

Example: walk into a decent clothing store and tell them you want a few shirts and a pair of pants that fit. It's literally their job to help you and if you're embarrassed about asking, who f**king cares because they're never going to remember you anyway.

Same for haircut. Just tell them you want something that looks good.

For hygiene, just go to a skin care store and ask. Once again, give zero f**ks because they'll never remember you anyway.

[deleted] , Taisiia Shestopal Report

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LivingTheDream
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Clothing... It took so long for me to learn that asking a person I thought looked good to help me pick out clothes was a good idea.

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#25

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group If you feel uncomfortable telling people whats going on in your life you don't have to . You owe them nothing and they don't care as much as you think.
A lot of times we think we have to be honest but its not necessary. Especially if its a touchy subject or something you'd rather not talk about. For some reason we think we owe them an explanation but they really can't tell how our lives really are.

If say you got fired from a job and someone asks how you're doing you don't have to tell them you got fired. Just be brief like ya everythings good how about you? Most people aren't gonna know whether you're telling the truth or not. Just remember you're not at anyone's mercy. Take control.

bayfarm , Jeremy Yap Report

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Susie Elle
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd advice against doing that all the time, to be honest. If you're always going to act like everything's okay even though your body language tells me otherwise, because you believe I have no interest in actually knowing how you feel, then we're also never really going to connect. That's fine, we're not obliged to connect of course, but just be aware that always hiding your feelings because you think nobody cares and want to protect yourself from being hurt, that's going to keep people away from you and thus potential help with whatever it is you're struggling with.

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#26

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group PRO TIP: Don’t concern yourself with being interesting, concern yourself with being interested.
Become interested in the person you are talking to. Ask them about themselves, not just surface questions but really try to engage with them. For example: you have a beautiful house! do you consider this to be your forever home? if you could move anywhere else where would it be?

Focus on the other person and it’ll take the load off you. Just my two cents.

WannabeWayne , Christina Morillo Report

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Kristin Ingersoll
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure why this is rated lower than "Repeat the last three words they said." This is simple, sound advice.

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#27

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Do you struggle with social anxiety? Go to a concert ALONE.
Find a concert near you for one of your favorite bands. Preferably music that you have a deep connection to and will be excited to see. Take no friends, go completely alone. Move through the crowd as you see fit, dance by yourself, and do nothing but focus on your personal enjoyment of the music.

Putting myself in this anonymous social setting allowed me to explore my social freedom without the fear of judgement. I was no longer worried if my friends thought I was a goofy or bad dancer. Once I learned how to enjoy my own company and let loose, people actually started approaching me! That didnt happen when I was all stiff and pent up.

People would ask me stuff like "what's the song they are playing?" Or "have they played such and such yet?" It was then a lot easier to spark up convo with these people between sets or songs since they had already broken the ice. Guys and girls!

So buy a ticket and get out there. You don't even have to talk to anyone! Just start by getting out and feeling OK being by yourself.

munchauzen , Pien Muller Report

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maya P.K
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BIG TIPPP: make sure you are and will be safe, asecally if you are a woman. carry around pepper spray!

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#28

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Wow. I recently learned a social skill that’s made all the difference in my conversations
I joined a professional fraternity this Spring. One of the skills they emphasize is to ask abstract, interesting questions that garner a positive response and could lead to similarities/connections between the two people. Instead of asking boring af questions like “what are you majoring in” or “ where are you from”, ask questions that require more detail such as “ what caused you to major in X” or “ How come you chose to attend Tallahassee/Florida State?” These questions require more than one word answers, and open up doors for more conversation. Perhaps you have something in common that you wouldn’t have known had you not asked. Once you have something in common. Boom. Instant connection. Then you build off that conversation by expanding upon that subject, or switch the conversation if needed. I’ve found that this is the hardest part of 1 on 1 conversation, and once you get past the initial hump of breaking the ice/not making it awkward, it makes the rest of the conversation so much easier.

jrv53 , Medienstürmer Report

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Daria B
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd just add to the examples of the "boring questions" the ones that are too broad. For example "how is the food there"?, "how are the people there?" Ugh.... be more specific, please. Of course I'll tell you "they're good", and stop here. Also, I'd appreciate if you see me as me, not a specimen of whatever box you put me in, even if with good intentions.

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#29

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group When someone insults you, they aren’t insulting YOU. They are insulting their current perception of their understanding of your identity which is NOT you.
I hope you feel more confident now.

Masol_The_Producer , Liza Summer Report

#30

30 Of The Most Useful Social Tips That Help You Connect With Others, As Shared By This Online Group Today I turn 33. Here are 33 lessons I’ve learned about being better with people

1. Dialing up your energy a bit (+10%) when you’re being social makes it easier to have a good time.

2. Being curious will help you be interested in other people.

3. No one can mind-read. They have no clue what you’re thinking. You have no idea what they are thinking.

4. The spotlight effect is real. We all tend to overestimate the amount that other people notice and observe us.

5. It’s possible to view the same event 2 different ways. Ex: You say “Hi”. They brush past you instead of saying “Hi”. Negative view: “They must be mad at me.” Positive view: “They must be preoccupied, they probably didn’t hear me.”

6. First Impressions start BEFORE you open your mouth. Seeming approachable is key…

7. Master the “Resting happy face” = Have a slight smile on your face when you’re out at an event. Studies have shown smiling makes you happier. Which will lead to better interactions.

8. No need to overthink eye contact. Make eye contact for a few seconds, glance away, rinse and repeat.

9. Small talk is necessary. It helps you move from lighter topics to deeper topics so that you can build rapport.

10. During small talk, avoid the “Interrogation trap”. Balance questions with observations. (Great chance to give a meaningful compliment)

11. Keep a running list of social wins.** When you have a great interaction, make people laugh with a joke, etc. Write it down! Next time you’re feeling unsure, Look over your list to remind yourself that you have been successful in the past.

12. Try not to interrupt. If you accidentally interrupt, say “You were saying…” and bring up the last thing they said to get them back on track. (This shows that you were listening…you WERE listening, right?)

13. Listening is SO key. Listen and try to come up with observations and questions that show that you are 100% engaged.

14. Don’t stop listening when you come up with something to say. (I call this the “spring loaded response trap”) Be okay with letting go of what you were going to say…there’s always something else to say.

15. If you notice that the other person is mirroring your body language, that’s a great sign! This means that you two are in rapport and connecting. (You can trigger this by mirroring them a little first)

16. If you remember something cringey you did in the past. Try the 3 Fs: Flush, Fix, Forget. Flush: Take a breath and get some emotional distance from that memory. Fix: Is there anything you can change for next time? If so, make a note. Forget: Give yourself permission to forget it

17. Body Language: In most cases, people could take up more space, gesture more with their hands and stop fidgeting. These signal to others that you’re comfortable with yourself. (Which helps them feel comfortable too)

18. How to be interesting. Develop a wide range of interests. Know a little about a lot. This will make a wide range of topics and conversations 10x easier.

19. Be bold. Don’t wait for people to come to you. Approach people first. Introduce yourself first. Own the interaction.

20. The more comfortable you can make yourself, the more comfortable you can make others. (Important to balance with getting out of your comfort zone and growing as a person though)

21. Prep a quick summary/story from your weekend. People will ask, have something ready.

22. Saying “No” and crafting boundaries is important. People will treat you however you let them. Hard to know if people are stepping over boundaries if you aren’t sure what those boundaries are.

23. Saying “Yes” is important too. Not “Yes” to things you don’t want to do, but yes to new and exciting experiences and

Jeffcallahan3 , Markus Spiske Report

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Joey Marlin
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Number 16, remembering something cringy. I tell myself I wasn't thinking about it 10 minutes ago and so I have no need to think about it in10 minutes time. I remember that most people focus on what embarrassed them and they won't know you were embarrassed. Possibly won't remember the incident at all and then... I let it go. Dump the memory and focus on something else. It fades and then goes away again.

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