Communicating with people in one form or another is an integral part of our lives. How to make it fun and enjoyable? For various reasons, far from all people are able to start, develop and maintain a natural conversation. Especially if you have to speak with a stranger or someone you are in love with. What to do? There is only one way out - to learn the art of easy conversation. This article contains the most interesting topics and ideas for discussion that will help you navigate in any situation and get the most out of communication with people.
Start a conversation
For many people, this is the most difficult part of the conversation. Not knowing what to talk about, they begin to panic, become embarrassed, and utter phrases out of place. To avoid this, first, calm down. Communication should be fun, not tormenting. In addition, your interlocutor may be no less embarrassed and just as well try to come up with interesting topics for discussion.
The British say the best way to start a casual conversation is to discuss the weather. It sounds corny, but in some cases it really helps to overcome the feeling of embarrassment. As an option - you can draw the attention of the interlocutor to something happening near or outside the window (unusual clothes of a passerby, a funny animal, an interesting sign).
However, no one will guarantee that the other person will be interested in your remark. Therefore, it is better to act for sure. Most people are happy to share their opinions or talk about how they live. This will not only provide interesting topics for discussion, but also make communication comfortable.
If you know a little, ask:
- about his attitude to any situation;
- about what is connected with his life (where he was born, studied, worked, traveled; what was remembered in those places);
- about children, if your interlocutor is a parent;
- how he met the owners of the house (if you met at a party).
When talking with someone you haven’t seen for a long time, ask:
- what he did, what changed in life during this time;
- about family, children, work;
- Have you seen mutual friends.
When talking with someone you see often (colleagues, fellow students, classmates), ask this person:
- how is he doing, what was new yesterday or over the weekend;
- how the family is doing: parents, children;
- about news related to work (study);
- impressions about a new movie, TV program, popular song, video or meme, latest news, etc.
What is interesting to talk about with most people?
Find a common topic:
- Travels. Where they went, where they want to go, what they can advise.
- Accompanying environment. Food in a cafe, a program on TV, a song playing on the radio - these are popular topics for discussion. At the same time, you can recall curious facts or cases from life, ask the interlocutor about his tastes, personal experience, etc.
- Hobby. Most often, people like to talk about what interests them in life. Ask questions, show interest and mention your hobbies along the way.
- A topic or area of life in which your interlocutor is well versed. You can ask him questions and share your own impressions.
Good communication is impossible without the genuine interest of the interlocutors to each other and to the topic of conversation. There will be no problems between friends, but what about unfamiliar people?
To be sincere
If you want to make a good impression on your interlocutor, you need sincerity and genuine interest in what they tell you. Impeccable, but cold manners and a tight smile are unlikely to attract. Rampant chatter - too; who would like to listen to a twenty-minute monologue without the ability to insert a word?
Make the person feel comfortable talking to you. Look for both of you interesting topics for discussion, take an interest in a person’s opinion, and speak less about yourself and only when asked. You can alternate: a remark about your affairs is a question for the interlocutor.
A good way to win sympathy is a compliment, but made from the heart and not trivial.
Discuss current
If you don’t know how to propose an interesting topic for discussion, think about what you would like to discuss with the person you are talking to. Sociable people themselves will offer you a topic, it remains only to support it with questions. With less talkative interlocutors, you can discuss current news (by choosing something nice), movie rentals, or something related to the situation (work, food, skills, a pretty wardrobe item, etc.).
To interest a question
What to do if you have already discussed all of the above topics? Then you can use interesting questions as topics for conversation. For instance:
- Do you want to be famous?
- What would you spend a million on?
- What three things can't you live without?
- What is your cherished dream?
- Do you believe in fate (astrology, fortune telling)?
- What was your most interesting adventure?
- What did you dream of becoming a child?
- What is the ideal vacation for you?
- What makes you happy?
- What qualities do people like?
You can use these or any other interesting discussion questions to learn something new about your interlocutor and make the conversation more unpredictable and exciting. Just do not use too many questions, it will make a person awkward. The ideal option is to link the issue to the topic currently being discussed. Make a conversation about something, and alternate questions to the interlocutor with small chunks of information about you.
Know the pitfalls
Which is better to avoid:
- illnesses;
- bad habits;
- diet
- troubles;
- relationships, marriage, children (if you do not know the social status of a person);
- parents (suddenly the interlocutor has problems in the family?);
- monetary issues;
- religion, politics, sex and other “slippery” topics in which you can offend a person with a random remark.
Focus on the interlocutor
If you communicate in a company, involve all participants in the conversation. Plant interesting topics for discussion through questions and do not get carried away by long monologues.
If you see that the interlocutor is bored, change the subject and keep silent for a while, giving the person the opportunity to take the initiative. Do not be afraid of pauses in the conversation, because it would be much worse to say stupidity or offend a person with a rash phrase. A short silence will help to relax and think over the further course of the conversation.
If you notice that a topic has aroused interest in your interlocutor, remember it so that next time you can talk about it again. If a person, on the contrary, didn’t like something or seemed boring, take a note - do not touch on this issue anymore.
