How to carry on a conversation if you have no idea what you're talking about

The ability to communicate affects the ability to make new acquaintances and maintain existing connections. A person who quickly finds a common language with different people easily integrates with strangers.

The ability to communicate is not an innate quality. We'll tell you how to learn how to start a conversation with strangers and keep the conversation interesting.

Think about what kind of reaction they expect from you

The interlocutors are very different. One is quite happy with free ears and a rare nod of the head. But the other will require a meaningful answer and emotional reaction from you. Therefore, first of all, you need to understand what type of interlocutor you are dealing with.

This is easy to determine. It is enough to observe a person’s facial expressions and body language, and follow his speech. In Marina Butovskaya’s book “Body Language: Nature and Culture” you can find M. L. Butovskaya. "Body Language: Nature and Culture" contains a lot of useful information about nonverbal communication.

For example, dilated pupils and wide eyes can indicate increased interest and excitement. Slightly raised eyebrows are also a sign of concentration and curiosity. Prolonged eye contact will show that it is important for the person to be listened to carefully.

Active gestures in Russian and American cultures speak about energy and the desire to get your point across. And if you notice that a person is trying to move closer to you during a dialogue, then this indicates a desire to be heard.

It is also worth watching how a person speaks: pay attention to timbre and intonation. The famous speaker Dale Carnegie, in his book “How to Build Confidence and Influence People by Speaking in Public,” wrote that the speech of someone who wants to interest you will be figurative and easy to understand. She can also E. S. Rostova, N. A. Tumakova. Psychological and psycholinguistic features of oral speech (dialogue form) / “Young scientist” be quick if a person is excited and very passionate about the topic. A high voice or raising it will also indicate the interlocutor's enthusiasm.

If you have identified at least a few of these signs of interest, then there is a high probability that you will be required to respond and participate.

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