Anecdotally, I find that saying something meta, like “This is one of those situations where people have trouble speaking up, and then we just end up doing it even if people have doubts,” makes it easier.
I was in a very similar situation recently. But it was a small group, and I wasn’t the only one who had doubts, which also made it easier to say, “I don’t want to do this after all.”
Anecdotally, I find that saying something meta in a way relevant to the situation makes any social interaction easier. Even when it’s about how to mention that using meta in social interactions can be very useful.
In fact, it used to be my first and most effective social tactic, when specialized approaches didn’t work (or I didn’t know any for the specific situation), for a long time until recently.
It’s not too personal, but I can’t really tell you much more than I have a gut feeling it’s probably inspired from this quote. Unfortunately, I don’t know consciously just what it is I’m doing—can’t see the pattern yet—but my subconscious is doing something and it works, apparently.
Or, that’s what I would have said two days ago, probably. Now I’m noticing more and more that the same kind of social “reaction” to me also seems to happen in strangers that I haven’t talked to yet! This leads me to suspect the pattern may be more meta than I expected, such as something about my general posture / behavior / appearance.
Still, even that is a valid tactic in most cases (be prepared, be attractive, be approachable, etc.), but it seems poorly suited to the context of the great-grand-parent.
Anecdotally, I find that saying something meta, like “This is one of those situations where people have trouble speaking up, and then we just end up doing it even if people have doubts,” makes it easier.
I was in a very similar situation recently. But it was a small group, and I wasn’t the only one who had doubts, which also made it easier to say, “I don’t want to do this after all.”
Anecdotally, I find that saying something meta in a way relevant to the situation makes any social interaction easier. Even when it’s about how to mention that using meta in social interactions can be very useful.
In fact, it used to be my first and most effective social tactic, when specialized approaches didn’t work (or I didn’t know any for the specific situation), for a long time until recently.
If it’s not too personal, what’s currently your first and most effective social tactic when specialized approaches don’t work?
It’s not too personal, but I can’t really tell you much more than I have a gut feeling it’s probably inspired from this quote. Unfortunately, I don’t know consciously just what it is I’m doing—can’t see the pattern yet—but my subconscious is doing something and it works, apparently.
Or, that’s what I would have said two days ago, probably. Now I’m noticing more and more that the same kind of social “reaction” to me also seems to happen in strangers that I haven’t talked to yet! This leads me to suspect the pattern may be more meta than I expected, such as something about my general posture / behavior / appearance.
Still, even that is a valid tactic in most cases (be prepared, be attractive, be approachable, etc.), but it seems poorly suited to the context of the great-grand-parent.