At one time, good conversation advice was 'stick to the weather', but today even that can be treacherous.
Satisfying conversations are still possible, and the rules are easy.
1 Enter a conversation to learn about the other person, not to lecture them on yourself, according to Malavika Varadan, a Bollywood radio host.
2 Don't be afraid to ask a somewhat personal question, within reason of course. A good opener is to ask where a person is from.
3 Focus on the conversation and put your phone away. Then listen. Don't think ahead about your related story, according to radio host Celeste Headlee.
4 Don't equate your experiences with theirs. They aren't the same.
5 Eliminate details. Don't add obscur details of time, place, or names into your conversation. If a detail is important, your conversation partner will probably ask about it.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
