Do you ever feel the desire to talk to strangers?

No, but I must have one of those faces that people want to start talking to me in the grocery store line. It happens everytime I go! It’s usually a little old lady or a little old man. I guess they just need someone to talk to because they are lonely.

@Blackberry You’ve just described something that I’ve thought about before but never articulated. The difference is, I’ve gone ahead and approached people. But I know the tension you’re talking about. And for me it doesn’t happen in a bar, but maybe Applebee’s. I’ve had some pretty reqarding conversations that way and I’ve never been sorry. Try it next time. Just make eye contact, then smile and say “hello”. You’ve got a nice smile, use it.

Only when I get that vibe.

Sure. When I’m drunk.

All the time!

One of lifes greatest joys is playfulness, I am constantly engaging strangers and it’s rare for a day to go by that I do not enjoy some humor or conversation with a stranger.

I can think of 3 times in the last week where I have had fun with random strangers!

I love people!

I have a friend who is so good at this. We will be on the train, see someone looking at a tourist map, and she strikes up a conversation. It turns into some fun interactions. It has taught me how to do the same. I am still not as bold as her though.

Hanging with her helped me see that there can be a bubble around people, even myself. I admire people who know how to cross that barrier so naturally.

When I’m out and out, I chat it up with various peeps. I’m not shy and really do enjoy the interaction. And, it’s not because of the tension atall.

My girl and I went to an electronic music festival in Detroit. After the show, we exited the park and started to walk towards her car. A guy came along side us and I thought that he said to me “Wow, I love the smell of your perfume” (he was mumbling), to which I smiled and replied “why thank-you, it’s Dolce and Gabbana’s The One” (I was tipsy). He then continued to walk with us, but, my g/f swiftly grabbed my hand after he said “how much do you want”. Little did I know, but, the guy was trying to sell us some crack.. He didn’t asked about my perfume. He asked us if we wanted to buy a rock of crack.

I’m a talker. Yep, I talk to strangers.

@jjmah That’s funny, sorry to hear that lol.

Thanks, Trillian, I’ll try it out sometime. The last time it happened was at a restaurant because we were sitting across from some people. I learned some things about kayaking.

@jjmah Love the smell of your perfume. Want to buy some crack? Yeah, I can see how you misunderstood, sounds the same to me. hehe j/k.

@chyna I had my own little high going on. ;-)

No, not really.

I just mind my own business I guess. I get annoyed sometimes when mothers talk to me about their kids. I love it when elderly people talk to me though. They are cute!

If anyone is approachable & friendly then sure i’ll give them the time of day.Would be ignorant not to.

My ex was very good at that. He would talk to almost everyone, and even made new friends that way. He always knew more people in the neighborhood than I did. I am quite shy and don’t want to be rejected so I have been more of a smiler and a greeter unless some talks to me first. I learned a lot from him and it became easier for me, but now that I am alone again, i am doing it less.

@Blackberry do think that the reason men don’t often talk to strangers, is as you say, they may seem intimidating, whereas women are more afraid of being snubbed.

@anartist Yes that is one reason. For example if I’m at a mall at night in the parking lot and I am new to the area, I would not approach a woman to ask for directions because I feel I would just scare her lol.

always. it’s great to meet new people. besides you could give the inspiration to move forward in their lives and speak prosperity in the current state they are in.

I will start a conversation if the time and place are right. Like waiting in a long line for something, otherwise i think people probably just think you’re wierd.

Absolutely. I’ve done the whole waving thing while in the car (not I as the driver, though) and have received some smiles and a wave as a return. I think it’s neat and sort of exciting. I’m just weird like that, I guess.
But talk to them? I should give that a try more often.

I’m about to start filling in on weekends at a local shop in my tourist hub zone.
I can’t wait to be in the thick of thousands of strangers traversing my cool little eclectic community!

An abundance of fun interactions…and I get to keep company with the shop dog ‘Crackers’, the worlds smartest Border Collie! Fun, fun, fun!

I barely ever feel the desire to talk to people I already know.

I am friendly and will talk to most anyone unless I get a weird vibe,then it won’t happen :)

yes I feel the desire to talk to strangers and yes I actually do talk to strangers. (actually I find myself more hesitant to do it at parties and so forth than just out and about.)

I only feel like i need to talk to a stranger if they look like they’re in need of a friend. but i dont just walk up to them and start talking…..maybe i’ll wave or say hi or something, then if they start up a convo then that’s cool.

Shouldn’t you care about what’s going on in your life as opposed to what is going on in all the stranger’s lives in the world? I stay to myself pretty much, unless I am spoken to, at which point I am cordial back. Sometimes I am the one to speak first in a line, but that is rare. I have to be in the right mood. But for some reason people always feel the need to talk to me.

I feel like hugging a stranger now. Heck, more than one stranger, but it’s good to be cautious!

@Ponderer983 I can multitask lol. I can care about people and do my daily tasks in a 24 hour period. With your logic, there would be no point to volunteering then, right?

If I feel like it, I can talk to anyone. Some people I hit it off with and some not so much.

I do it all the time. Usually not lengthy conversations, just friendly interchanges or seeing and noting the humor in something. I generally go through life with an open friendly face and people respond to me.

I would not normally engage with a stranger unless I felt doing so could lead to an exciting and spontaneous sexual encounter.

@Blackberry Not necessarily. People volunteer for many reasons, and yes caring about strangers is one of them. However, there is the flip side that people volunteer to fill their own selfish needs, ie wanting to seem charitable to other people because it is admirable, but really not wanting to do it, or because they have to in order to get something else, like people who do community service for a lesser jail sentence – things like that. I’m not saying don’t care about ALL strangers, but the way you phrased the question seemed like you walk into a room and want to know about everyone’s lives. It is unrealistic, however I’m not criticizing you so much as playing devil’s advocate. Good that you want to be cordial towards humanity, but some people also only want to deal with those people in their lives already.

Yes, but I’m too shy to do anything about it.
I remember trying to talk to this girl I saw on the bus everyday in freshman year in HS. Never really got to say anything except “Want a piece of gum?”

“Never talk to strangers” is an excellent strategy for never meeting anyone new ever.

@Captain_Fantasy: but if they kill you you’ll also never meeting anyone new ever. think realistically!

I talk to strangers more often than not. Making faces at kids riding shopping carts is a great way to meet moms, for example… just for the sake of meeting them and saying hello. No pickup or attempt to do that is involved. Just an acknowledgement that we’re all human, it’s a nice day (or maybe it isn’t), it’s a beautiful / polite / bright / cranky / whatever child you have there, and have a nice day.

No, never.

It depends on my mood. I am a huge people watcher. There is nothing better than sitting somewhere outside and watching the things people do and say around you. I am a friendly person but I tend to keep to myself.

Arn’t we all talking to ‘strangers’ right now?

@Coloma Not in person though, it’s very different :)

So I should never talk to anyone ever again because someone might kill me?
Doesn’t sound like a good trade off.

Living in fear must suck ass.

Im hardly ever aproched by adults, unless they need something, like directions, or the time. Small childern, seem to be drawn to me, dont know why, I dont really consider myself a kid person.

I’m super open, hell, I’d invite some crazy person into my house out of sheer desire to be friendly and helpful…unless they are covered in blood and hiding an axe behind their back…lolol

Seriously, I believe my good energy protects me, really. ( Not an invitation to debate )

I am always stopping to see if drivers or others need some help, have great interactions where ever I go…life IS all about play, openess and ATTITUDE!

The world is a playground, play a little! ;-)

One should never let fear keep them from taking a chance!

Those little, or sometimes more lengthy exchanges with strangers;
one of the joys of my life.
and now strangers seems to me a very cold term to describe those with whom even a knowing smile has been exchanged.
You articulated this “feeling” very well, and I think about it often.
What would the world look like if we were able to remove some of the bricks from the walls we so carefully construct.
If there could be some magical balance between living without fear and not being naive.
but in general I think fear holds us back from far to much, perhaps the greatest inhibitor, greatest suppressor of life itself.
I wish and try to create more of a community in my own neighborhood and circles.
sings: All the lonely people… where do they all come from?...
I stare out at the busy streets, everyone off to a destination I’ll never know, seemingly so focused in their own world, and something about the image scares me. saddens me. It is something that I am having great difficulty putting into words without sounding too absurd, naive or foolish.
Perhaps I am too idealistic.
I do attempt to break these bubbles and often come across a pleasant surprise. I was first naive to the fact that not everyone will converse with those they meet at bus stops and in lineups, especially as I would consider myself an introvert. Now I seek these opportunities purposefully, hoping to bring some spark to a persons day as they often do to mine.

Hey – I married a guy who picked me up while I was hitch-hiking. Can’t get much more friendly to strangers than that!

I picked up a couple of couchsurfer.com travelers on the northcoast last summer while traveling with my daughter in the redwoods. Had a blast with them, still in touch with the girl who is a makes the most beautiful silk scarves!

He was from europe and she was from Indiana. ;-)

@janbb does he still let you hitchhike?

@CyanoticWasp He forces me to. :-)

I often feel the desire. I rarely act on it. I don’t want to be one of those horrible people who are so awkward and obviously trying press a connection on someone who isn’t interested. I might ask one question or make one observation, and they might respond positively or with excitement, but I’ll leave it at that.

If they’re attractive, yes. But, I’m generally not a very talkative person anyway.

When the mood strikes, I cannot be stopped and people are generally very receptive. I try to approach people with a sincere compliment or something positive or humorous. I cannot tell you the times that we both walk away smiling because of the exchange. It costs nothing to put a little levity into an otherwise humdrum day.

In Florida, yes. In Illinois, no.