Here’s an all new Conversation Topics!
I’m sure you know one of the biggest fears stopping people from starting conversations is the fear of running out of things to say.
I’ve given suggestions before of how to keep a conversation going, but sometimes it feels good to have an ACE in your pocket. Something you can fall back on if your social mojo falls flat for a moment. Well, that’s what these Conversation Topics posts are made for. Read on….
In this week’s topics: The worst Photoshop job ever, and Mother-in-Law from Hell part 1 & 2!
Avoid awkward silences by having something to talk about!
Crazy concept I know…so here are some recent news (and not-so-news) stories I’ve hand-picked as a resource for you. I’ve picked them because they’re the type of topics most people could either get a laugh from or have an opinion on.
Remember, that’s the point. You want to get them talking so you can use their responses to move the conversation forward. Some good things to say after you recount the story could be, “what do you think about that?,” or “have you ever experienced something like that, before?”
How do you bring it up? Just say something like, “Oh did you hear about…” Or, “Oh, guess what I read the other day?” Your enthusiasm will cause them to be curious and want to hear more.
Below, you’ll find the story headline/link and a brief description of ways you might use it in a conversation.
This Week’s Topics
Is this the worst Photoshop job ever? Chinese officials publish propaganda picture with inspectors cut and pasted over new road
This week, I’ve handpicked some pretty popular stories circulating around – stuff many people are likely to have heard about. This obviously Photoshopped picture is a good for a laugh, but the “re-Photoshopped” pics making fun of it are even better. Even if the other person hasn’t heard of this story to relate, a healthy bit of time can be spent explaining and enjoying what the fuss is all about.
Mother-in-law from hell sends harsh lesson in manners to ‘uncouth’ bride-to-be in email which becomes worldwide sensation
The e-mail heard world-round, this one’ll make you smirk. The title says it all, but you have to read the actual e-mail (in this article) to believe it! This story is sure to bring up opinions and discussions of what is proper and what isn’t.
Mother-in-law email part 2: Father of bride-to-be calls Carolyn Bourne ‘snotty Miss Fancy Pants’
This is the bride’s family’s response to the above story (because the drama is just too good to pass up). While it’s not normally my cup of tea to bring up these types of stories in conversation, there’s no doubt that “drama” can be a good topic. That’s because it engages people’s emotions and opinions, which are good for chatting and getting to know people. Plus, people just want to know what happens in these dramatic stories!
————————————–
So remember to keep these in mind this weekend or all next week to use in any conversational lulls you might encounter. After all, one secret of conversational “naturals” is to have “stock” material to fall back on.
If you find these topics useful, please hit the Facebook “Like” button at the top of the page.
