Who's up for a little experiment?

Discussion in 'About the Members' started by RubiksMaster, Dec 29, 2009.

  1. RubiksMaster Real eyes realize real lies Registered Senior Member

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    1,646
    So I've done some thinking, and soul-searching. I realize I am not the person I want to be. I want to be the kind of person who can feel completely comfortable in the presence of strangers, or in social events, such as parties where I don't know many people. When I am with my friends, I am totally outgoing, and a lot of people don't know that I have a fair bit of social anxiety. I can go to parties or other social functions and be relatively comfortable as long as I have that close group of people to fall back to. If I want to become the person I want to be, I have to push myself out of my comfort zone.

    I ran across a blog the other day that got me thinking, and inspired me to do something I have been considering for a long time. It's called "social skydiving."

    The basic challenge is this: strike up a conversation with a total stranger every day for 30 days. By the end of it, I will be more comfortable in highly social situations, and I might even get some good stories out of it. No matter what way I look at it, it can only do me good. There are no negatives.

    To make it more measurable, and to make me less likely to flake out after a week, I am adding additional rules:
    1) After day 5, conversations have to go back and forth more than 4 times. This will prevent me from getting in a rut and just saying "hi, how's it going?. . .I'm great, thanks". I want to give myself a few days to work up to that, otherwise I will make excuses to myself about it being too hard.
    2) I can skip a total of 3 days, but I have to make them up at some point - essentially just shifting the remaining days by one. No skipping during the first week.

    Is anyone else interested in doing this with me? I feel that it will be too easy to get lazy and just give up. I want some actual physical incentive to stick with it. I really want to finish the entire 30 days because I think it can only make me a better person. If I can get a group of people together, we can encourage each other, share our successes, rejections, interesting stories, etc. I know I will be less likely to give up if other people know I'm giving up. I don't like to look like a failure in front of other people. Plus, I just think it will be more fun if we have a little group going

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    Let me know if you would be interested. I am doing this regardless of how many other people I get. I will keep you posted of my progress.

    TL;DR: I'm going to strike up conversations with random strangers for 30 days straight, and I want other people to join me in the challenge.

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  3. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    Im only aroun strangers about 3 days a week... but this after noon i was at Walmart an needed to tie my shoe an i set down on a bench by this lady an she didnt notice cause she was lookin up the isle... when she looked aroun i tolt her... well... you didnt know you had company... huh... turns out she was watin for her insurance man... i fount out he didnt have a office in Walmart... he was from out of town an woud meet clients in the mane isle way... i wished her a nice day an off to shoppin.!!!

    What have you been up to.???
     
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  5. EntropyAlwaysWins TANSTAAFL. Registered Senior Member

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    Sounds like an interesting idea, how are you going with your challenge?
     
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  7. Mrs.Lucysnow Valued Senior Member

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    Rubikmaster: strike up a conversation with a total stranger every day for 30 days

    I've been doing that for most of my life. Its easy for me to talk to people I don't know and I have never had any negative feedback.
     
  8. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    Yeah, I've never had a problem talking to total strangers. I think its cuz I was a military brat and we moved a lot.
     
  9. darksidZz Valued Senior Member

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    Stop being such idiots, you are women of course you have no problems striking up convos with strangers they are just begging for women to talk with them! Women have it easy, you can never say anything wrong because men will ignore it in favor of you being female. But for Rubiks and myself it ain't so easy

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    You think there's no negative feedback eh? LMAO there surely is believe me
     
  10. CheskiChips Banned Banned

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    What kind of sleazy insurance salesman meets people at Wal-mart?
     
  11. darksidZz Valued Senior Member

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    That's a great question lmao
     
  12. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    The "sleazy" kind :shrug:


    Edit:::

    Somtims store employees are a bit grumpy but the general public is mos often quite frindly.!!!

    When i was in line at a sewin store befor it opened... no one was talkin so i talked to the women in front an behind me an they was quite nice... but in the check-out lane a woman an the cashier was close to havin a shoutin match... the woman in line was rong but the cashier wasnt tryin to calm the situaton... she continued to make thinly valed sarcastic remarks.!!!

    In Walmart about 2 weeks ago som big younger guy hollered at som other older shoper in the store an was walkin toward him... his wife was pullin on him... sayin no no... let it go... i coud see the desperraton in her face an i was walkin between the 2 men... i was gonna stop the younger guy an ask him if he coud see what my grocery list said... i figered if i coud stall him a bit the situaton mite calm down a bit... but he listened to his wife wit a bit of grumblin an walked away.!!!


    A-Man.TTT
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2010
  13. kira Valued Senior Member

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    Maybe I am just paranoid, but in real life I am really avoiding complete strangers. For all I know they could be serial killers, rapists, crazy maniacs, etc.

    This happened just last weekend. I returned home from another city using train. In the middle of the way, I had to change train. However, because the previous train was late, I should run to catch the next train. A lady ran also behind me and then entered the same train with me. Then inside the train, she asked me, where to buy the ticket? I was like.. huh?

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    I told her that she should buy in the automat machine or at the ticket counter in the train station.

    Then I left her and looked for seat. After sometime, the same lady approached me and asked me, whether I could take her with my ticket. Actually yes I could, because on weekend days my student ticket is valid for me and 1 guest. However, I automatically said no. I guess it was just my instinct. She then went around asking other people and went upstair.

    Not long after that, in the next station, 2 polices entered the train in my compartment from front side (maybe there were also a couple entering from back side), one went up, another went down. Then they went out in the next station, with the SAME lady that asked for my ticket. Apparently the lady was a pick pocket :bugeye: Shortly after that there was 2-3 times announcement for all passengers to keep their belonging tight. The lady wasn't caught because she didn't have ticket, because after that the normal ticket controller came around checking people' ticket and a guy who didn't bring ticket got a penalty bill.

    What happened if previously I'd let the lady to use my ticket and then the ticket controller came, and then I happened to say, "oh she's my friend, I am taking her with my ticket", then after that polices come to look for her in the train?? I surely would be in trouble by cooperating with pick pocketer!
     
  14. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    OK, I do find that a bit paranoid.
     

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