I’m intrigued by this – comfort zone expansion strikes me as a very good idea, if done carefully; I’m thinking of things like Rejection Therapy, ‘daygame’ (making conversation/flirting with strangers in daytime settings, taking care not to become a harasser) and just generally being social.
In my forays with talking to strangers—an ongoing experiment!—I’ve found that Londoners are actually mostly very friendly, just with a veneer of coldness that needs breaking. I suspect this is true for people in most big cities, and is an adaptation to avoid the usual array of charity muggers, panhandlers and the like they encounter on an hourly basis.
This is up to the individual—what scares one person, someone else does habitually.
When I did this at the May CFAR workshop, things I did included singing in the toilets, complimenting someone’s shoes, asking for a free croissant, and letting someone try to sell me some skincare stuff. I’m struggling to remember what other people did, but one person struck up conversations with strangers, and one of the instructors managed to get a massage circle going.
During the discussion beforehand, people will be able to come up with ideas of things they want to do.
I’m intrigued by this – comfort zone expansion strikes me as a very good idea, if done carefully; I’m thinking of things like Rejection Therapy, ‘daygame’ (making conversation/flirting with strangers in daytime settings, taking care not to become a harasser) and just generally being social.
In my forays with talking to strangers—an ongoing experiment!—I’ve found that Londoners are actually mostly very friendly, just with a veneer of coldness that needs breaking. I suspect this is true for people in most big cities, and is an adaptation to avoid the usual array of charity muggers, panhandlers and the like they encounter on an hourly basis.
What kind of activities are you planning?
This is up to the individual—what scares one person, someone else does habitually.
When I did this at the May CFAR workshop, things I did included singing in the toilets, complimenting someone’s shoes, asking for a free croissant, and letting someone try to sell me some skincare stuff. I’m struggling to remember what other people did, but one person struck up conversations with strangers, and one of the instructors managed to get a massage circle going.
During the discussion beforehand, people will be able to come up with ideas of things they want to do.
Sounds excellent. WIsh I could make it, but I’ve got a family thing to attend to that day. Next time, for sure!