You Never Truly Know Someone: The Importance of Initiating Meaningful Conversations
The sad truth about relationships at work and life
You know what’s the real tragedy in life,
You will sit working in an office next to someone for years and never have the courage to have a one-on-one conversation with them.
You wouldn’t even ask them their name and where they are from.
It is difficult to start a conversation
If you’re an introvert or a bit reserved, it is very difficult to start conversations with someone you don’t know the first time.
There was a survey conducted where people were asked,
“What is their worst fear?”
‘Public Speaking’ topped the list, ‘Death’ was the Runner-up.
Meaning people would rather be in the ‘Casket’ than deliver the ‘Eulogy’.
It takes tremendous Courage to go and talk to a person for the first time.
Secret lies in not thinking too much about it and just doing it.
Be In The Same Room with the Person
I think the best to understand somebody is not to be in an office, board-room or playground.
The best place is to sit with them in a room and talk about random things.
Some topics will be interesting, some will be bad but you would get an idea about what that person thinks and feels.
Here’s how my trips to my coaching class for studies helped me understand people better:
I used to stay with my friends for nearly 12 hours each day in a small class room where we would study from 9 am to 9 pm and then return home.
In between we would take breaks and go to attend lectures if those were scheduled.
We would discuss problems, resolve doubts, talk about random topics, and would often eat together during our breaks.
Some would crack jokes and all of us would laugh, some would share their funny fantasies about life after cracking JEE — How they wanted their lives to turn out, things they want to do, places they wanted to visit, people they wanted to meet, etc.
I learnt an important lesson in human interaction — You’ve got to walk in other people’s shoes to understand a person.
I think the most I got to learn about existing alongside other people was during that phase of my life.
Understanding People is Hard!
People are different, they have hidden egos, insecurities, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, agendas, etc.
It’s very difficult to grasp why some behave the way they behave until you’ve seen the world through their eyes.
You have got to talk to their soul, until then you are just talking to someone who is least bothered about you.
Take Initiative
Here is ‘How to Avoid Regret in life?’ —
Be the first one to talk and initiate the conversation. That way you would gain confidence in your abilities to talk and have a discussion.
The more you feel afraid, the less you should think.
Practice it a few times and let it become your Second Nature.
People often think “Positive emotions lead to Positive action” but often “Positive actions lead to Positive emotions in your life”.
Remember you have got to act for your life to be a success!
