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Nowadays it’s very easy to get caught up in an echo chamber — whether online or in real life. It can create friction and tension when meeting new people. Words can become buzzwords and suspicions quickly take over. Fortunately, there’s a way around that.
We’ve listed three great ways to help you venture outside your comfort zone. Curiosity is a great tool to help you grow intellectually and socially. It’s important to remember that there’s always more to learn about yourself or the world around you. So, let’s start with the basics.
Ask Questions
Ask, ask, ask. It’s the first step to learning anything. When meeting someone new, you can ask: How was your day? The automatic response to that question is typically “It was fine”, but sometimes it’s the way we ask questions that can give us the answers we’re looking for.
Taking a moment to look someone in the eyes as you ask about their day, or their well being, can go a long way in making them feel comfortable enough to answer honestly.
Another great starter question can begin with a compliment. Is there something about this person that stands out to you? That intrigues you? If so, break the ice by complimenting them and asking more about that specific thing.
It’s advice typically given to children when they’re starting school or making new friends since it’s tried and true. When someone feels appreciated, it can foster an open and safe environment. A simple: I like your blouse or I love your handwriting can lead to a beautiful and intriguing conversation.
Be Open to Different Viewpoints
This next part is a bit tricky in our current time due to the high level of divisiveness around us — whether in person or online; however, this is still an incredibly important social skill for human beings to possess.
One of the most beautiful aspects of our world is its diversity. We all come from different backgrounds and have varying experiences. Connecting through these differences is a solid way to create harmonic relationships that highlight and celebrate our similarities too.
Here’s an example: John did theater all throughout his formative years. He did not pursue it as a career in his adulthood, but still stays connected to his theater roots through broadway news and local productions. One day, he meets a working actor while buying tickets for the next show he’d like to see. This actor, Sherrie, has been looking to reconnect to the days when acting felt more like a passion than her livelihood. In order to reinvigorate her passion, she decides to see a show she hasn’t seen in a very long time. One from her youth. As she does so, she sees John purchasing tickets for the Lion King.
She asks him if he’s ever seen it before, to which John responds through chuckles “only a million times”. He tells her about the first time he saw the Lion King on a school field trip when he was 12, and how it gave life to his love for acting.
The two begin to chat and realize despite their different career trajectories, the love they share for theater is one in the same. John’s perspective is rejuvenating to Sherrie, and Sherrie’s acting experiences are exciting to John.
Now this is a small example, but the point is still clear. They both have an interest that connects them to each other, but their unique ways of engaging with this interest broadens their personal perspectives in other ways.
Avoid Speculation
When you ask questions and keep an open mind, you avoid speculation. We are all susceptible to speculation, and in moderation it’s not a bad thing; however, it is very easy to get carried away with assumptions.
Remember, we all have our own stories to tell and it’s important to make space for others to tell it. When we allow our minds to slow down and be curious, we make peace with not knowing the answers to everything. People have much to offer when given the opportunity, so give them the time to do it.
Even if you’ve visited a certain country, tried a certain cuisine, or seen a certain show it’s great to see these experiences again with new eyes. Sometimes we miss the beauty that lies in the details, and catching ourselves while speculating can keep us from closing ourselves off.
Interested in putting all this into practice? Cyasoon will be launching soon, and when we do you can finally connect with people in your local community through shared interests. Discover how your similarities and differences all intersect and take the opportunity to ask questions, be curious, and expand your perspective.
Visit our website to stay up to date and be one of the first to know when we launch.
Cyasoon!
