Talking to a shy person can be frustrating at times, but you can get them to open up by lobbing some easy questions their way.
Photo by mark O’Rourke.
As John Stoker, president of Overcoming Fake Talk, explains, shyness stems from someone’s fear of being singled out and rejected. According to Stoker, you can get them to open up by asking questions that don’t sound judgemental and are easy to answer. Anything from asking their name to what kind of food they like will help ease them into trusting you, thus leading to them opening up more. It’s like the grown up version of asking a shy child if they like school or the toy they’re clutching (minus the patronising tone and stupid voices). Just make sure you steer clear of “yes or no” questions. You want to get them talking, not uttering single syllables and going back into their shell.
How to get a shy person to open up to you in five minutes or less [Business Insider]
Comments