Does anyone know of some good reads on conversation and social skills? I'm not suggesting that you can learn these subjects entirely by a book, but what I'm looking for is some methods to make communication a little bit easier when meeting someone or groups of people. [more inside]
posted by Garden on Oct 30, 2009 - 8 answers

What are the best English-language books in existence on improving one's social and conversational skills? [more inside]
posted by cotesdurhone on Oct 24, 2009 - 8 answers

Has anyone gone through a period in their life where they've just become too overanalytical and serious? I started therapy a little over a year and a half ago and it has been great. I've gained a lot of additional understanding of myself which has been helpful but at the same time I think it's actually detrimental in other ways. [more inside]
posted by Garden on Oct 23, 2009 - 11 answers

Dating Across a Language Barrier: Can you share success stories and advice about relationships where you and your partner primarily spoke different languages? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 7, 2009 - 13 answers

Does anyone else feel like an imposter? I often have a hard time building relationships with people. I can be polite and make small talk with other people, but I struggle with making friends. I struggle with social anxiety which is part of the problem, but how do you move past it and build relationships with other people so that they are genuinely interested in getting to know you better? [more inside]
posted by Garden on Oct 5, 2009 - 13 answers

What is a good comeback for an introvert, attending a social occasion, who gets told, for the umpteenth time, "Hey you're really quiet aren't you?" [more inside]
posted by pixlboi on Sep 29, 2009 - 99 answers

How do I be an ally to the conversationally overpowered? [more inside]
posted by baxter_ilion on Aug 16, 2009 - 12 answers

Is it possible to help someone become a better communicator/conversationalist without offending him? [more inside]
posted by emilyd22222 on Jul 28, 2009 - 22 answers

What does one say to a cancer survivor when they tell you that they're a cancer survivor? [more inside]
posted by Barry B. Palindromer on Jul 23, 2009 - 35 answers

What are some hints you drop in conversation? [more inside]
posted by wireless on Jun 27, 2009 - 24 answers

I want to be more extroverted and confident and practice starting conversations with strangers... what are some good conversation openers? Tips? [more inside]
posted by Chrysalis on Jun 24, 2009 - 17 answers

I'm looking for retorts similar to "that's what she said." Phrases that turn a sentence someone else has uttered into a double entendre. The one's I know are "as the actress said to the bishop," "I hardly know her" and "twenty bucks, same as in town."
posted by Kattullus on Jun 21, 2009 - 74 answers

Help me stop interrupting everyone when they're speaking! [more inside]
posted by Muffpub on Jun 10, 2009 - 21 answers

Are there any good sources for accurate transcriptions of historical conversations? I am very interested in history, but am getting a little bored of primarily reading descriptions of things that happened, and would rather see actual conversations. In some ways I'm even more interested in people who aren’t historically significant, i.e. day-to-day conversations from the past. Thanks for reading!
posted by ben5757 on May 25, 2009 - 13 answers

I've been told I'm a very good conversationalist, but when I talk to people, I often get nervous about silences. This leads to two problems: 1) I compulsively fill in silences with questions or comments, in a way that eventually exhausts me, and 2) if food's available, I tend to impulsively snack and mindlessly eat to have *something* constantly happening (admittedly I often am munching away even when there isn't a silence). Any tips on changing these behaviors?
posted by anonymous on May 22, 2009 - 8 answers

Japanese conversation practice with a native speaker in the Portland, OR area (or maybe Skype)? [more inside]
posted by wastelands on May 19, 2009 - 6 answers

Why am I constantly be dismissed in conversation? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 18, 2009 - 17 answers

Can you recommend podcasts in which people are having a conversation? I would like to avoid interviews or structured ones with segments. [more inside]
posted by bluefly on May 6, 2009 - 27 answers

I'd like to make more friends online. Suggestions? (MeFi demographic a plus.) [more inside]
posted by StrikeTheViol on May 5, 2009 - 8 answers

I love slang and colloquialisms. Where can I go to pick up more? [more inside]
posted by god particle on Apr 28, 2009 - 9 answers

My facial expressions don't match my emotions. Sometimes when I think I'm being friendly and warm, I actually look condescending, anxious or just weird. As far as I know I'm neither crazy nor autistic. How can I fix this? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 26, 2009 - 21 answers

I’d like to solicit some mental tricks or strategies for keeping my self-consciousness under control in face-to-face conversations. I’ve always been extremely self conscious and never really comfortable with myself physically. I don’t mind my looks - I'm of normal weight, well dressed, no obvious physical defects - but I always feel just wrong in space. Lately, my nervousness has been manifesting itself in physical tics that are getting harder to suppress. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 15, 2009 - 13 answers

How to talk and 'entertain' my mother (with Alzheimers) when she no longer recognizes me? [more inside]
posted by dbmcd on Apr 12, 2009 - 16 answers

Lately I've realized that I have a really hard time remembering something if I only hear it. I'm okay at remembering things that I read, but if it's spoken it doesn't have much staying power. What are some ways I can improve my memory of the spoken word? [more inside]
posted by Deathalicious on Mar 12, 2009 - 9 answers

I want to learn what everyday conversation (vocabulary, speech patterns, etc.) among American social and political elites was like around the time of the US Civil War. Where should I look for this sort of information? Online sources would be great. [more inside]
posted by thirteenkiller on Mar 9, 2009 - 5 answers

So. How do I get better at holding conversation? [more inside]
posted by tealsocks on Mar 5, 2009 - 23 answers

This is obviously a girl-induced question, but generally I dislike the phone no matter who I'm talking to because of good ol' anxiety/being tired. I'll never love the phone, but I was thinking about a few options. 1) Would it help to just randomly call stores daily and ask for things? 2) Volunteering as like a call-handler/receptionist somewhere (I applied for the receptionist deal at memorial park conservation). I'm lazy when it comes to volunteering though and I don't know if #1 is the best option because the other person isn't really talking as I'd be doing all the talking. What does the great council of mefites recommend? And no talking to people in everyday life more is not an option, I don't believe in socializing :).
posted by isoman2kx on Feb 26, 2009 - 19 answers

I am looking for conversational topics/ questions that are relatively easy to answer, on topics that aren't too personal...help me come up with some! [more inside]
posted by gilsonal on Feb 18, 2009 - 31 answers

What should I say when people who I don't know well or recently met share personal, usually tragic, information about their lives with me? [more inside]
posted by abdulf on Feb 3, 2009 - 31 answers

What are your favorite conversation-fodder movies? [more inside]
posted by harwons on Feb 1, 2009 - 42 answers

ESL-filter: Where can a fairly advanced ESL student practice her English for free? [more inside]
posted by ambrosia on Jan 25, 2009 - 5 answers

What is the proper way of dealing with people who habitually use homophobic language (i.e. "that's so gay/queer," "Romo the homo," "faggoty") etc. but aren't really bigots? [more inside]
posted by AlbatrossJones on Dec 22, 2008 - 45 answers

Really small TVs & digital conversion - For many years, I have had a really small Sanyo TV (Model TMP 2175). It has AM/FM, a clock and a real small black & white 2 inch diagonal screen. My favorite feature of this little gizmo is that you can set an alarm so the TV turns on for about an hour - I've found this a very effective morning alarm...TV sound blares on, screen shines enough in my eyes to wake me up. . How can I make this thing work when things go digital? [more inside]
posted by skillet on Dec 21, 2008 - 9 answers

Two parter 1) Do I have the correct expectations about conversation and common interests with my significant other? 2) How can I get her to have more, deeper, conversations, debates, etc? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 18, 2008 - 50 answers

How do i become an interesting person to speak to? [more inside]
posted by freddymetz on Dec 15, 2008 - 32 answers

How do I keep my cool in a difficult conversation with my sister? [more inside]
posted by otherwordlyglow on Dec 10, 2008 - 21 answers

What am I going to talk do/talk about with a virtual stranger for 10 hours? [more inside]
posted by mr_felix_t_cat on Dec 8, 2008 - 21 answers

With the holidays coming I find my inability to tolerate some family members and listen to the inane chatter that fills the room. I am often visually unhappy about the situation. How can I tolerate such gatherings in a way that at least makes it appear I'm not so unhappy? (Bonus points if I'm ACTUALLY not so unhappy). [more inside]
posted by arniec on Dec 1, 2008 - 28 answers

My stereo is off, unplugged even. I am not using my cell phone, neither is my adjacent roommate.. why do I occasionally hear loud conversation, almost sounding like walkie talkie two way radio communication, coming from my speakers? [more inside]
posted by mediocre on Nov 29, 2008 - 6 answers

Can Windows Mail update the sorting of conversations, so that conversations with a new message are placed at the top of the inbox? [more inside]
posted by Sneutrino on Nov 7, 2008 - 3 answers

Grr, how to stop being the butt of all the jokes and defend... it's getting annoying! [more inside]
posted by dragontail on Sep 17, 2008 - 34 answers

What are some fun impromptu games--I'm thinking like Punch Buggy, or Not It? AND, what are some fun conversation games--like Would You Rather, or The Dozens, or Questions, or Existential Rock Paper Scissors?
posted by Ollie on Aug 28, 2008 - 24 answers

What's the best way to react to a socially awkward situation? [more inside]
posted by gregb1007 on Aug 24, 2008 - 13 answers

I need help understanding how my hyper-smart geek husband's brain works. I want to give him the understanding he craves but am having a hard time inhabiting his plane. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 24, 2008 - 61 answers

An overly romantic person in a non-romantic world... help! [more inside]
posted by curagea on Aug 24, 2008 - 28 answers

How can I remember to smile more? [more inside]
posted by incandescentman on Aug 6, 2008 - 12 answers

How do I sound like the intelligent and mature person that I am? [more inside]
posted by mixed greens on Jul 14, 2008 - 17 answers

Conversation starters needed for married couple's date night. The wife is a bit introverted and needs some prodding to get a conversation started... if it doesn't include career, kids or family. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 11, 2008 - 19 answers

Do you know of any phrases that can be used to confuse someone in a conversation? I saw a list long ago but don't recall any if the phrases. It could be a question or an answer. The purpose is to say something that sounds natural and like a plausable statement but is difficult to decipher (or even non-sensical) and makes the other person feel stunned and speechless as they try to figure out what you said. [more inside]
posted by mckennage on Jul 9, 2008 - 44 answers

Every time I hear a journalist say "Tell me about ..." when interviewing someone on television, I get really annoyed. It seems so incredibly presumptuous, pompous and impolite to demand an answer of a guest like that. Yet it happens all over the world. Is this standard journalistic practice? What's the reasoning behind it? Anyone else feel the same way or am I being a relic? [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on May 9, 2008 - 39 answers