Tip of the week: How to stop being a wallflower
Sage advice for the shy
Get there early. Many shy people “prefer to disappear in the crowd,” so they like to arrive late. But by making friends with a few strangers earlier in the night, “you will know people who can introduce you to others later.”
Walk up and say hi. No one is going to be offended if you promptly introduce yourself and ask their name. They may, however, be bothered by any period of “uncomfortable silence” while you gather the gumption. “People form an opinion of you in the first 10 seconds.” Be brave.
Be a good listener—and questioner. Not everyone you talk to will dazzle you with one “enthralling revelation” after another. But the best way to seem interested is to be interested. “Throw out some Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? questions.” If you keep your companion talking, they’ll feel flattered, and “you won’t feel pressured to come up with convivial and clever responses.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Source: Allure
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
How can we fix tourism?
Today's Big Question Local protests over negative impact of ever-rising visitor numbers could change how we travel forever
By The Week UK Published
-
Simone Biles: Rising – an 'elegantly paced and vulnerable' portrait of the gymnast
The Week Recommends Netflix's four-part documentary is more than a 'riveting comeback story'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Paloma recipe: the cocktail of the summer
The Week Recommends This refreshing drink balances the fresh and fizzy taste of grapefruit soda with a subtle flavour of smooth tequila
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published