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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 29 Fotos
Stranger danger
- If you were a kid during the '80s or after, you’ll probably be familiar with the phrase "stranger danger."
© Shutterstock
1 / 29 Fotos
Stranger danger
- For decades now, kids have been raised to believe that anyone they have not met could be dangerous, and that strangers should always be avoided.
© Shutterstock
2 / 29 Fotos
The danger with stranger danger
- While it is true that kids talking to strange adults is not advisable, this obsession with stranger danger has raised generations of adults who may be missing out.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
The reality
- Recent research shows that in reality, striking up a conversation with a stranger can, at the very least, brighten a person’s day.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Important benefits
- At the most, talking to strangers may have important benefits for both our mental health and well-being. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of talking to strangers.
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
Opportunity to make friends
- With every new person you talk to, there is the chance you might gain a great friend or even a romantic partner.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Opportunity to make friends
- Just think: everyone you know was a stranger at some point. All relationships have to start somewhere, so why not here and now?
© Shutterstock
7 / 29 Fotos
Gain a new perspective
- You may not always meet your new best friend when you talk to someone new, but you will always gain a new perspective.
© Shutterstock
8 / 29 Fotos
Gain a new perspective
- The more people you speak to, the more points of view you will become exposed to and the more nuanced your understanding of the world will become.
© Shutterstock
9 / 29 Fotos
Grow your business network
- Of course, there is always the chance you might grow your business network, too. There is no reason to limit your networking to specific events.
© Shutterstock
10 / 29 Fotos
Grow your business network
- Lots of successful business people would readily admit that their biggest break came as a result of talking to strangers. You never know where it might lead.
© Shutterstock
11 / 29 Fotos
Have fun
- While you may feel nervous before approaching someone new, or even uncomfortable when adjusting to the new conversation style, eventually you’ll probably have a lot of fun!
© Shutterstock
12 / 29 Fotos
Have fun
- Human beings are naturally social creatures, and we derive pleasure from interacting with each other on a regular basis.
© Shutterstock
13 / 29 Fotos
Improve your social skills - Striking up and maintaining a conversation with a stranger is not always easy, but you can be sure that with practice you will improve.
© Shutterstock
14 / 29 Fotos
Improve your social skills
- In fact, talking to strangers is a great way to improve your social skills. That is something many of us are looking for in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing.
© Shutterstock
15 / 29 Fotos
Improve your confidence
- Learning to chat with strangers is also a great way to improve your confidence in general. If you practice on a regular basis, you’ll find you’re more comfortable in lots of situations.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
Improve your confidence
- Being able to strike up a conversation with the barista, for example, will stand you in good stead for the next time you have to attend a work event or family wedding.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Sense of community
- And last but not least, casual conversations with strangers are important for anchoring us in the communities where we live.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Sense of community
- Having a sense of community is essential for our well-being, and having short, regular conversations with those who share our environment is a great way to achieve this.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
In practice
- If the idea of starting a conversation with the person next to you on the bus completely horrifies you, we understand.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
Undoing learnt behaviors
- As previously mentioned, we have been raised to believe that nothing good can come from interacting with people we do not know.
© Shutterstock
21 / 29 Fotos
Research
- However, research shows that the interaction will probably go better than you might think. Take a recent study at the University of Chicago, for example.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
The Chicago experiment
- In an effort to better understand the stranger danger phenomenon, behavioral scientists Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder asked some Chicago commuters to talk to strangers on public transport.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
The Chicago experiment
- Before the experiment, most of the participants believed that the interaction would go badly. They feared they would be rejected and the remainder of their commute would be terribly awkward.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Results
- When they actually engaged, however, the participants found that the conversations they had with strangers were enjoyable, interesting, and lasted longer than they expected.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
The London experiment
- This experiment has been repeated in many locations, and the results are remarkably consistent. Even the London experiment yielded the same results.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
All in all - Talking to strangers is not always easy (and not advisable in all circumstances). However, if the time is right, it’s worth giving it a go.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
Some tips
- Start by asking an open question that elicits a longer response, then move on to a topic that you both have in common. Sources: (BBC) (The New York Times) (Cleverism) See also: Weird things we all did as kids but never talk about
© Shutterstock
28 / 29 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 29 Fotos
Stranger danger
- If you were a kid during the '80s or after, you’ll probably be familiar with the phrase "stranger danger."
© Shutterstock
1 / 29 Fotos
Stranger danger
- For decades now, kids have been raised to believe that anyone they have not met could be dangerous, and that strangers should always be avoided.
© Shutterstock
2 / 29 Fotos
The danger with stranger danger
- While it is true that kids talking to strange adults is not advisable, this obsession with stranger danger has raised generations of adults who may be missing out.
© Shutterstock
3 / 29 Fotos
The reality
- Recent research shows that in reality, striking up a conversation with a stranger can, at the very least, brighten a person’s day.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Important benefits
- At the most, talking to strangers may have important benefits for both our mental health and well-being. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of talking to strangers.
© Shutterstock
5 / 29 Fotos
Opportunity to make friends
- With every new person you talk to, there is the chance you might gain a great friend or even a romantic partner.
© Shutterstock
6 / 29 Fotos
Opportunity to make friends
- Just think: everyone you know was a stranger at some point. All relationships have to start somewhere, so why not here and now?
© Shutterstock
7 / 29 Fotos
Gain a new perspective
- You may not always meet your new best friend when you talk to someone new, but you will always gain a new perspective.
© Shutterstock
8 / 29 Fotos
Gain a new perspective
- The more people you speak to, the more points of view you will become exposed to and the more nuanced your understanding of the world will become.
© Shutterstock
9 / 29 Fotos
Grow your business network
- Of course, there is always the chance you might grow your business network, too. There is no reason to limit your networking to specific events.
© Shutterstock
10 / 29 Fotos
Grow your business network
- Lots of successful business people would readily admit that their biggest break came as a result of talking to strangers. You never know where it might lead.
© Shutterstock
11 / 29 Fotos
Have fun
- While you may feel nervous before approaching someone new, or even uncomfortable when adjusting to the new conversation style, eventually you’ll probably have a lot of fun!
© Shutterstock
12 / 29 Fotos
Have fun
- Human beings are naturally social creatures, and we derive pleasure from interacting with each other on a regular basis.
© Shutterstock
13 / 29 Fotos
Improve your social skills - Striking up and maintaining a conversation with a stranger is not always easy, but you can be sure that with practice you will improve.
© Shutterstock
14 / 29 Fotos
Improve your social skills
- In fact, talking to strangers is a great way to improve your social skills. That is something many of us are looking for in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing.
© Shutterstock
15 / 29 Fotos
Improve your confidence
- Learning to chat with strangers is also a great way to improve your confidence in general. If you practice on a regular basis, you’ll find you’re more comfortable in lots of situations.
© Shutterstock
16 / 29 Fotos
Improve your confidence
- Being able to strike up a conversation with the barista, for example, will stand you in good stead for the next time you have to attend a work event or family wedding.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Sense of community
- And last but not least, casual conversations with strangers are important for anchoring us in the communities where we live.
© Shutterstock
18 / 29 Fotos
Sense of community
- Having a sense of community is essential for our well-being, and having short, regular conversations with those who share our environment is a great way to achieve this.
© Shutterstock
19 / 29 Fotos
In practice
- If the idea of starting a conversation with the person next to you on the bus completely horrifies you, we understand.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
Undoing learnt behaviors
- As previously mentioned, we have been raised to believe that nothing good can come from interacting with people we do not know.
© Shutterstock
21 / 29 Fotos
Research
- However, research shows that the interaction will probably go better than you might think. Take a recent study at the University of Chicago, for example.
© Shutterstock
22 / 29 Fotos
The Chicago experiment
- In an effort to better understand the stranger danger phenomenon, behavioral scientists Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder asked some Chicago commuters to talk to strangers on public transport.
© Shutterstock
23 / 29 Fotos
The Chicago experiment
- Before the experiment, most of the participants believed that the interaction would go badly. They feared they would be rejected and the remainder of their commute would be terribly awkward.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Results
- When they actually engaged, however, the participants found that the conversations they had with strangers were enjoyable, interesting, and lasted longer than they expected.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
The London experiment
- This experiment has been repeated in many locations, and the results are remarkably consistent. Even the London experiment yielded the same results.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
All in all - Talking to strangers is not always easy (and not advisable in all circumstances). However, if the time is right, it’s worth giving it a go.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
Some tips
- Start by asking an open question that elicits a longer response, then move on to a topic that you both have in common. Sources: (BBC) (The New York Times) (Cleverism) See also: Weird things we all did as kids but never talk about
© Shutterstock
28 / 29 Fotos
How talking to strangers can make us happier
The little-known benefits of ad-hoc conversation
© Shutterstock
For decades, kids have been taught that all strangers can potentially be dangerous. From a young age, we have learnt that there is an inherent danger in talking to people we don't know. Unfortunately, that means that many of us, now adults, are more than reluctant to talk to people we don't know. Research shows, however, that striking up a conversation with a stranger can have benefits for our mental health and general well-being.
Intrigued? Then check out this gallery to learn how talking to strangers can make us happier.
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