If you’re making an effort to be more comfortable in social situations, latching on to a social butterfly buddy can help ease you into more social exposure.
Photo by Link Humans.
Getting better at meeting people is tough, especially when you’re trying your hardest to seem interesting. While breaking out of your shell may seem daunting at first, Ankit Sethi at Quora suggests certain friends can make the process easier and more comfortable:
Find somebody to piggyback on. I have found that a good way to increase my social exposure is to make a few, close friendships with people who are inherently much more gregarious than I am. I accompany them to social events, they help to introduce me to new people and thereby give me a social “starting line of credit” with these folks, because by virtue of association with the gregarious friend I don’t have to start from scratch with them – I already have an implicit endorsement, of sorts.
Not only will they start you off in conversations with a “good line of credit”, they will handle most of the small talk that can often lead to awkward moments. You’ll be able to chime in when you have something interesting to say, but can keep to yourself when you don’t. Your friend doesn’t have to be the life of the party either. Just someone who knows their way around a crowd.
Ankit Sethi’s answer to “What are some of the best ways to improve social skills?” [Quora via Business Insider]
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