Short Conversation Starters To Break The Ice

Have you been trapped in an awkward silence with someone because both of you can’t think of something to say? That’s okay, most of us have been in that kind of situation for once or twice. But, it would be a mistake to repeat that for the rest of our lives. Today, we will show you great conversations starters so your date or dinner party won’t turn awkward and boring.

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Making Small Talk

“Why talk about your problems including mental health challenges? Just talking about your situation to someone can reduce your stress and help you feel better.”  Dr. Aaron Kaplan, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist said. Small talk is an efficient way of starting the conversation. The book What to Talk About and Science of People recommend these great conversation starters for your next date or dinner party.

  • “Tell me about you.”
  • “Tell me three things you did today that are unlikely to”
  • “What personal passion project are you working on right now.”
  • “Working on anything exciting lately?”
  • “What was the most exciting thing that happened to you today?”
  • “What was the highlight of your week?”
  • “What are you excited about this week?”

 

If you feel uncomfortable asking these things or don’t think the person you are talking to will relate, try these:

  • “What are the things you are passionate about?”
  • “What are the things that you don’t like?”
  • “Have you seen this movie?”
  • “What is your job like?”

 

Unconventional Starters

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Being bold will keep your conversation running for as long as you like. According to What to Talk About and Science of People, these personal conversation starters to spice up your discussion.

  • “What’s the strangest thing about while growing up?”
  • “What does your name mean?”
  • “What’s your biggest fear?”
  • “What’s your biggest regret?”
  • “What do you aspire to be your job when you were growing up? Is any part of that still true?”

 

Continuing the conversation

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“Most people have a loud inner critic which makes their life more stressful.”  David Klow, a licensed therapist said. Once you got the flow going, it is easy to continue the conversation. But, how can you come up with brilliant questions to continue the discussion? Simple. By listening.

 

Creating a meaningful conversation lies in your ability to listen and focus. You have to immerse on what the other person is talking about to create questions that would keep the conversation going. For example, if the person is talking about what their job is like, follow it up with questions about “how is the workload or “how are your co-workers?”.

 

But, to be an active listener, you have to appear to be ready to listen. That means keeping your phone in some place where you can’t reach it. It is insulting for a person to be texting while the other is talking something about their passions. If you really want to keep the conversation going, you have to keep both your eyes and ears to the person. And also note that “Harsh words are just as damaging whether they come from someone else or whether they come from you,” says licensed psychologist Cindy T. Graham, PhD.

 

Some Final Words

The reason why we end up in awkward silences with another person is that of unfamiliarity. We don’t know the person well enough to come up with an enticing topic. But with these conversation starters in your hand, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. These phrases are designed to help you know each other so both of you can talk what you’re passionate about.