How to Talk to Anyone | strangers, acquaintances & friends

1. no one is above or below you 2. reflect on recent stuff in life (something learned, funny moment/memory, show/movie you saw, book you read, podcast you listened to, trying something new in life, etc.) - journaling helps with 2! 3. ice pick and mountain analogy: you're "picking" at the person by making conversation, trying to get to know them and "creating snowballs." small snowballs = acquaintances, larger snowballs = closer friends 4. talking to strangers - find something in common and make a connection - observe around you ("how do you know person xyz?"; "i love your earrings, are they vintage?") - (added this one myself) people like compliments and usually like talking about themselves 5. be genuinely interested and ask things you want to know 6. people want to feel heard and seen; if anything, just paraphrase what the other person said 7. last resort: you have every right to leave (if you can) "i'm gonna go use the restroom, i'll see you in a bit" 8. chemistry is real in romantic relationships but friendships too; it's okay to just have certain people as only acquaintances 9. every friendship is different/unique: some friends you party with, some you talk about light stuff with, some you just lay around and do "nothing" with

Acquaintances are definitely the trickiest to talk to sometimes, like classmates and colleagues, especially if they already have a not so good image of you or know how awkward you are, but this vid helped, thanks⁹l

Jenn! I love how you broke this down like a masterclass! I If you continue this series, could you please please do a video on how to navigate conversation in groups? I am an introvert who works in customer service and find it so much easier to flow in “one on one” conversation with strangers/patients, than in GROUPS of acquaintances and sometimes even with groups of friends. Thank you for the energy, thought, and time you put into your projects ❤ I think you are blessing us struggling millennials with this communication series. We grew up in such a digital age. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like they complete freezes in groups, especially in casual/social settings 😅

the moment u said "art of conversation according to my head" u immediately became someone i could trust and i thank you for that hack

I've been known within my freind group to be the most able to handle scocial situations. I often get asked even by my close freinds, "how are you so good at talking with people? You can instantly make freinds with strangers!" But despite what they say, I still struggle internally with trying to hold a conversation. I'm genuinely not sure how in the ever living Hell I manage my way through a conversation. So, despite me being well versed in "making freinds" or "being good with people" I found so much useful information in this video. It was so nice to hear you say to "trust yourself that you will come up with the appropriate responce". I needed that. I think FAR too much about how I come across, and what to say next, and how to be witty enough, etc . . . And it was litigatmetly a breath of fresh air to realize that I AM capable of responding, and that I CAN trust myself enough to make a responce. And in the process be more genuine because of that.

tbh the one thing that i learned abt how to talk to your coworkers is ask questions, then when they answer, keep it rolling, dont be afraid to tell YOUR side of your story.

Introverted neurodivergent folks unite 🫠

6:32 I used to be a huge extrovert when I was younger. When I take a look at my old diaries all of the pages would be filled with very random things like dialogues from a movie that I came across or a conversation my parents had which I heard etc. and ever since I stopped doing it was the beginning of my introvert era

As an INFP I feel so stuck when it comes to making conversations.. It has been a resolution of mine, I really want to know all kinds of people because like you mentioned, you can learn so much from the people you meet! Thank you so much for making this video 💗

I really like your analogy of ice picking a mountain! thanks for breaking down your ideas into digestible chunks and providing actual helpful tips that you use too. thank you jenn! <3

I’ve been so shy and anxious especially since the pandemic and some mental health struggles so I really tried to avoid people. I still get so nervous and I feel really awkward talking to strangers… but I really wish to connect with new people again. I hope that it will start to feel more natural again with some practice…

00:01 Taming social anxiety and confident conversation 02:00 Avoid coming off as smug or arrogant when interacting with others. 04:02 Reflect on your life and experiences before engaging in a conversation. 06:00 Journaling helps with preparedness and retaining information. 08:00 Use the ice picker and mountain of snow analogy to engage in meaningful conversations. 10:05 Initiate small talk by finding common ground and testing the waters. 12:11 Start with broad strokes and open up first 14:17 Paraphrasing what others say makes them feel heard and understood. 16:15 Building relationships from strangers to friends is a process involving icebreaking and chemistry. 18:05 Overcome social anxiety by talking to strangers Crafted by Merlin AI.

I feel so bad when it comes to conversations with ppl I’m not super close with. I think it’s the acquaintances. When they say something my mind is just always blank. Like I want to say something, I want to show I care and listen lol but I just don’t know what to say. I ask myself “do I truly care? Is that why I can’t think of anything “ idk this vid was helpful

THIS IS SOO HELPFUL..and i hate it so much when People say “They are better than you” LIKE I DON'T CARE IF SOMEONE'S BETTER.. IT'S ME VS ME.

I was THE introvert, but I swear that ever since you started your communications degree in Davis, I had loved researching and committing time into communication tools and techniques. It’s crazy how disconnected I had became during COVID and avoided communication to avoid building new friendships with peers in social settings, I could only take one person at a time. That PTSD really broke down after I reconnected with myself and did the work again in CBT therapy. Now for the commutation tools that will help me thrive again. Absolutely loving it, ty Jen!!!

Your hair looks immaculate! And I’m a true introvert, social gatherings make me so anxious I will have a break down. If I’m able to get out there, I am so awkwardly silent it’s alarming

Hola Jenn! I've been a dedicated follower for about 8 years now, and I've been thinking: wouldn't it be amazing if you started your own podcast? Your wisdom and constant realizations are incredibly insightful. We're around the same age, and experiencing life through your perspective is something I truly cherish. I'm certain many others would relate and absolutely adore a podcast from you. You'd be so good at it!

Your YouTube channel is one of my top 5. Love it! Thank you so much! 🩷

This was a great video. I feel like you would make a great counselor/therapist just based off how eloquent you are, how introspective you are and your life experience on working through certain things (such as talking to anyone). That's what I appreciate most about my therapist is she feels relatable like sorting through the mess of life with someone who "gets it".

i struggle with this so much! thank you for taking the time to put it together 💕