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[TheSaddestSort]

I have a naturally stern looking face, a low voice (I feel like I have to shout to reach normal voice levels if there's any sort of ambient noise), and am somewhat shy. All of these things are barriers towards making conversation with strangers or people I don't know well.

That being said, I do try to make polite conversation if I feel like the situation calls for it. That might include get togethers that feature friends of friends, work functions (or functions where I could potentially gain work), or even making polite conversation in the grocery line. More often then not I can get along just fine.

I think where I can fall short is that I usually have to make an effort if I'm going to be the individual to first engage in conversation. I tend to do better when someone else initiates the small talk.

 

[Domino Theory]

This is me. Like, exactly me.

Oh? Tell me more.

 

[Bluemongoose]

It fluctuates, and though this is probably normal, depends on who I'm talking to.

If I know the person pretty well, it's not hard. If I don't, I have a problem a lot of the time and can be awkward. It's especially bad around attractive women.

This goes for me too. I'm better than I used to be but I still have trouble with women (Especially pretty ones.). I have an unfair presumption that they will give me a hard time just for being a guy. It's easier when you find that "hook" or thing that gets the ball rolling. But I can usually tell when someone is open to conversation or not.

 

[How About No]

I uh... the weather sure is... happening today, isn't it?

It is and local sports team certainly played today

 

[Bluemongoose]

Terrible at it, especially with strangers. If I'm with my friends, I get a little bit better, but most of the time I let my friends talk and ask questions to bring me into the conversation.

I come across this a lot with a certain friend who's an extrovert. Usually he's the one talking and I'm friggin' Silent Bob. I hate that so I usually try to contribute more and jump in with a question.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

Terrible unless I know the person.

It takes me a while to work out someone's tone and vocal inflections in such a manner that I can match them.

When I meet someone new, I tend to let them do the talking until I work them out, only giving them sounds of acknowledgement and asking leading questions.

 

[daveo42]

I suck at making more casual conversation unless we have a shared interest. Small talk is garbage and I'm a flaming trash pile at it.

 

[Astral Dog]

Im terrible at holding conversations sometimes they even make me cry

 

[Stackboy]

I'm pretty good at it. I just ask people questions about themselves or topics they seem to like talking about.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

What were we talking about again?

 

[Ploid 3.0]

I usually try to shut conversations down, and continue on my way, without stopping if possible.

 

[KevinCow]

Terrible. I'm an extremely quiet person by nature because when I get talkative, I usually wind up saying something that upsets someone.

I try to ask questions, but sometimes the other person doesn't make it easy to figure out which questions to ask, and I'm not good at coming up with new topics to talk about.

The exception is when I'm with my best friend or my dad, who are content to listen to me ramble about video games and superheroes for a little while.

 

[Cipher Peon]

I'm absolutely amazing at holding conversations.

I try to absorb as much pop culture as possible, so 99.9% of the time it's virtually impossible for me to not have a ton of informed opinions about an interest someone I'm talking to has. Besides, I'm extraordinarily extroverted, extremely charming, and love love love people. I have things to say about everything and I love hearing the perspectives of others. Pretty much never a quiet moment with me.

On the note of pop culture, I'm still in college, so I'm surrounded by people who love pop culture. Can't imagine being surrounded by people who are defined by things I find mundane like traveling *shudders*

 

[VistraNorrez]

As an introvert, I think introverts are better at conversations. I spend a lot of time by myself and in my own head thinking. I'm very curious about many topics and I tend to look up information on them. So I have a lot of information I can disseminate over the course of a conversation.

It really doesn't matter if you think the other person would be interested in what your saying. If it's a topic you are knowledgeable on, you have a good chance of relaying information the other person doesn't know. Learning new things is interesting to most people. And part of a conversation is just learning about the person so any topic is really just information about that person. Just don't be condescending about whatever you are talking about..

 

[John Kowalski]

HELLO. How. ARE. You.

Oh, i'm great, hey, listen, you hear about Lisa? I heard she has a vacation house up in the mountains, that's pretty cool right. I think i'd like one of those, wouldn't you?

 

[EVOL 100%]

If you make a conscious effort to get better, the more you do it, the better you get. Laying down the basic foundations of a good conversation needs trial and error as there are a lot of variables that text can't convey. There isn't a one size fits all conversation technique, and that applies to not only your conversation partner, but also to the speaker as well.

For example, a person who talks too much about themselves should focus more on taking a genuine interest to their partner, while a person who tends to only ask questions should make an effort to throw in ancedotes are impressions of their own. It sounds easy on paper, but most people don't know themselves as much as they think, and changing habits takes time and effort.

I got a lot better during the last year and a half standing guard 2 hours a day with a random person in the military. I used to be pretty hopeless, but now I'm pretty good.

 

[psynergylover]

Pretty good actually; have good knowledge of video games, sports, anime, tv, political events, movies so always able to keep the conversation going.

 

[Red Liquorice]

Hi
Hi
How are you
Good, you
Good

/End

That's all I know about conversations.

 

[RangerX]

Yeah I'm a decent conversationalist, I'm a pretty sociable guy. It just has to be natural really, don't force it.

 

[BeeDog]

This will probably come of as bragging, but it's the one thing I have always had going for me (trust me, many other things don't). If anything else, I make friends on all levels of the social ladder, and I generally find it easy to acquire new friends, though of course I wouldn't want to be friends with everyone. It also helps that my girlfriend's circle of friends forces me to keep practicing it; let's just say it's a very sociable bunch of people in general, and when you easily get starstruck you have to step up.

 

[War Peaceman]

I'm really good at it.

I've given hundreds of tours during which you have a lot of downtime between notable locations, this meant that I had to learn how to make small talk and squeeze every ounce of conversation out of people. This was with a variety of people; mums, dads, kids, internationals, etc.

BTW being able to make middle aged women laugh will get you very far in life.

 

[Jzero]

Small talk is fucking exhausting and i don't care for it at all. When talking about important topics i'm fairly decent at holding a conversation though.

 

[DEAD RABBIT]

Wear a good T-shirt. Can do wonders.

 

[KimiNewt]

I talk general bollocks all the time. I have little interest in football (soccer) for example but I generally keep an eye on it at least so I can bring it up in conversation. Same with politics, tv shows (game of thrones) local events, etc. Quite easy to hold a casual conversation.

Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

 

[MedicUnderFire]

Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

Fing about Arsenal is, they always try an' walk it in.

 

[The Artisan]

i'm madd awkward and i hate that about myself. i do make people laugh though.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

I'm great at holding a conversation when I want to. But I tend to use that ability in the opposite direction, and shut down conversations in their infancy when it involves people I have no desire to chat with (which includes all of my coworkers).

 

[John Kowalski]

Did you see that ludicrous display last night?

Football used to be more technical.

 

[Ripenen]

Mass Effect taught me how to hold conversations.

Fallout 4 taught me it doesn't matter what you say the results will always be the same anyway.

 

[Jacknapes]

I can hold a casual conversation more so these days than a few years back. Got more knowledge, and the fact i feel better about myself than i have for a while helps a lot too*. I'm not a sports mad person, but i do keep an eye on things to bring up. As well as the latest shows on TV, and generally asking people what's new in life helps a lot too.

(Worked in a call center for 3 years or so, lost the will to live at times and never felt like talking to anyone after work. Sort of fell into a depressive state which didn't help at all).

 

[Philippo]

Pretty good i think, i know something about many fields, and when i don't i admit it and ask the other person to teach me about it.
Plus they say i'm quite funny, and i have no problems in making a fool out of myself (to a certain extent), so i guess that helps too.

 

[loudbill]

Im decent at it, but i really dont like talking about myself

 

[IceDoesntHelp]

I'm awful at it. Social Anxiety and I'm overly awkward when it comes to conversations, and I hate big groups of people. I'm not built for conversation.

 

[Trickster]

Sometimes it's easy, other times it's awkward and not really possible.

Like, if there's something that me and whoever I'm talking too is interested in talking about, then ofc it's easy.

However, if that's not really the case, and the conversation has coming to a natural stop, then trying to keep the conversation going get's awkward and uninteresting

 

[How About No]

Oh, i'm great, hey, listen, you hear about Lisa? I heard she has a vacation house up in the mountains, that's pretty cool right. I think i'd like one of those, wouldn't you?

Nah I've been pretty happy with my one mildew-encrusted shack. It's got a nice location downtown

Wanna come over and pretend to play Atari games. They shut my water and electricity off a month ago

Hi
Hi
How are you
Good, you
Good

/End

That's all I know about conversations.

Actually I lied earlier. If I hear "How are you" I just respond "hi" and walk away.

 

[John Kowalski]

I got an xbox at my place if you want to spend the night.

You can shower too if you'd like. No peeking though.

 

[drugstore_cowboy]

Pretty awful, moreso when there's little in common.

I fare better when there's some opiates in my system, I can pretend to be interested for much longer.