When was the last time you started a conversation with a stranger?
A few days ago, I was waiting in line at a bagel shop and a familiar startup logo on someone's hoodie caught my eye.
I asked its wearer, "Do you work at ...?" He said, "Yeah!"
We talked for the next 20 minutes and exchanged contacts before parting ways.
An hour later, I was sitting in a cafe reading a book, when a man sat down next to me with a cup of tea.
I asked him, "What kind of tea did you get?" He said, "Jasmine."
We talked about tea, and then about books, and then his career. It was a riveting conversation.
I started a third conversation with a stranger that day. It died within a minute, and I didn't give any thought to it afterward.
There have been times when I wanted to start a conversation with someone and then decided against it. "That's such a stupid question to ask. They can answer it in one word."
But that day I wondered, "Huh. There really isn't much harm done in starting a conversation with a stranger."
Consider the two outcomes. Either the conversation isn't memorable, and you both forget about it soon. Or, it's quite memorable, and you're glad you started it.
Why shouldn't more people start conversations with strangers then?
Written by Aryan Bhasin