Gillian Sandstrom

So at the How to Talk to Strangers workshops that I've run, I've heard those kind of comments from both genders, actually. So women are nervous about talking to a man because they don't want to send the wrong signals. And men are worried about talking to women because... They don't want to have their behavior interpreted in the wrong way.

So at the How to Talk to Strangers workshops that I've run, I've heard those kind of comments from both genders, actually. So women are nervous about talking to a man because they don't want to send the wrong signals. And men are worried about talking to women because... They don't want to have their behavior interpreted in the wrong way.

So, yeah, I think everybody's sort of nervous about talking to each other. And it's really a shame, isn't it? Because we don't want to not talk to half of the human population. But I don't think we have to get stuck there. Like, I think there's probably things we can do in our body language to signal that, you know, by keeping some distance, maybe, you know, less intense eye contact.

So, yeah, I think everybody's sort of nervous about talking to each other. And it's really a shame, isn't it? Because we don't want to not talk to half of the human population. But I don't think we have to get stuck there. Like, I think there's probably things we can do in our body language to signal that, you know, by keeping some distance, maybe, you know, less intense eye contact.

So, yeah, I think everybody's sort of nervous about talking to each other. And it's really a shame, isn't it? Because we don't want to not talk to half of the human population. But I don't think we have to get stuck there. Like, I think there's probably things we can do in our body language to signal that, you know, by keeping some distance, maybe, you know, less intense eye contact.

I think there's some probably some things we can do to signal that we're just being friendly and not, you know, or we could, you know, explicitly say it like, look, I'm not hitting on you. I'm just, you know, being friendly. Yeah.

I think there's some probably some things we can do to signal that we're just being friendly and not, you know, or we could, you know, explicitly say it like, look, I'm not hitting on you. I'm just, you know, being friendly. Yeah.

I think there's some probably some things we can do to signal that we're just being friendly and not, you know, or we could, you know, explicitly say it like, look, I'm not hitting on you. I'm just, you know, being friendly. Yeah.

Yeah. And there's a few reasons for that. One is completely selfish because, you know, I'm very much an introvert. And so that's still an environment that I don't feel comfortable in when there's a lot of people, especially when there's lots of people I don't know, or it's a really kind of noisy environment. That's when I feel the most uncomfortable.

Yeah. And there's a few reasons for that. One is completely selfish because, you know, I'm very much an introvert. And so that's still an environment that I don't feel comfortable in when there's a lot of people, especially when there's lots of people I don't know, or it's a really kind of noisy environment. That's when I feel the most uncomfortable.

Yeah. And there's a few reasons for that. One is completely selfish because, you know, I'm very much an introvert. And so that's still an environment that I don't feel comfortable in when there's a lot of people, especially when there's lots of people I don't know, or it's a really kind of noisy environment. That's when I feel the most uncomfortable.

And I know that the way to fix that to make myself feel better is to get into a one-to-one conversation with someone. But then in addition to that, I'd like to think that there's a pro-social motive as well. You look around the room and you see someone else who doesn't have anyone to talk to. I know now that so many of us feel anxious, socially anxious or socially awkward.

And I know that the way to fix that to make myself feel better is to get into a one-to-one conversation with someone. But then in addition to that, I'd like to think that there's a pro-social motive as well. You look around the room and you see someone else who doesn't have anyone to talk to. I know now that so many of us feel anxious, socially anxious or socially awkward.

And I know that the way to fix that to make myself feel better is to get into a one-to-one conversation with someone. But then in addition to that, I'd like to think that there's a pro-social motive as well. You look around the room and you see someone else who doesn't have anyone to talk to. I know now that so many of us feel anxious, socially anxious or socially awkward.

So there's guaranteed to be somebody else who doesn't really know anybody and doesn't have someone to talk to. And so I'll look around for that person and go and start a conversation with them. And so I'd like to think that it's helping both of us.

So there's guaranteed to be somebody else who doesn't really know anybody and doesn't have someone to talk to. And so I'll look around for that person and go and start a conversation with them. And so I'd like to think that it's helping both of us.

So there's guaranteed to be somebody else who doesn't really know anybody and doesn't have someone to talk to. And so I'll look around for that person and go and start a conversation with them. And so I'd like to think that it's helping both of us.

Just recently, actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had a moment where where it really struck me how far I've come. So I was at the opera, and I had come back from the intermission, and I started chatting with the people who were sitting next to me, sort of farther in from the aisle than I was. And I said, how are you doing? And they said, fine-ish. And I thought, ooh.

Just recently, actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had a moment where where it really struck me how far I've come. So I was at the opera, and I had come back from the intermission, and I started chatting with the people who were sitting next to me, sort of farther in from the aisle than I was. And I said, how are you doing? And they said, fine-ish. And I thought, ooh.

Just recently, actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had a moment where where it really struck me how far I've come. So I was at the opera, and I had come back from the intermission, and I started chatting with the people who were sitting next to me, sort of farther in from the aisle than I was. And I said, how are you doing? And they said, fine-ish. And I thought, ooh.