NerdyJill

I mean people in real life. Your Tumblr friends don't really count. 

Getting to know people is extremely tricky, especially if you're shy. I'm not going to give you the magic recipe. I'm also not going to help much if you have social phobia. But if you want some tips on how to seem more friendly and therefore interact with people more easily, keep reading.

It might seem obvious, but it's not. Personality changes from one person to another. Some people are loud, some people are shy. Some are both. I am. One person will laugh at your jokes, others will not. Some will like you, some will hate you! It's just the way things are.

Don't force anything/anyone. It'll be worse if you do.

The best way to avoid forcing is to get to know the person you're talking to. Ask them anything! Start with their name and age. But don't be creepy.

Ach! Personen kennenlernen ! Das ist soooo schwer !

Now, if the conversation you're having is formal, I'd recommand not to argue over David Tennant vs. Matt Smith (10♥). Yelling 'How could you skip 9?!' won't help either.

Okay, this is unfair, but only a small, gifted amount of the population can do this. Why? Well, we weren't all born with the humour gene; I wasn't! My humour is terrible, ugh.

Everyone likes to laugh, so don't hesitate to crack a joke every now and then.

As I said, though, don't force it.

This is it. This is the best tip I'll ever be able to give you. Smile to people.

You have no idea how much power your smile has. First, if you're shy, this will encourage people to come meet you, as you probably have issues doing the first step. 

Next, here's an example: if you've had braces, you know the struggle. Right? And you know the extreme happiness of removing them. Then show it to the world! Smiling is the best way to show off, because you're not being a mean person (let's stay polite, shall we?) doing so. But if you still have braces, you can smile too. Having metal on your teeth doesn't mean it has to be ugly. Just... Make sure you brush your teeth.

See? Sulking isn't cute.

Unless you're Grumpy Cat, but you're not. Or are you? No you're not. Liar. And don't "meow" me.

Last but not least, another example: when you're shopping, remember to smile. The seller probably sees hundreds of people a day, a lot of whom look as happy as Darth Vader.

But if you smile, it'll cheer them up... let's say 75% sure.

Two days ago, I arrived at the youth hostel I was staying at, in Belgium. Just as I was about to check in, a woman told me their program was updating and they didn't have access to it at the moment. And I just smiled, and said 'Okay! I'm not in a rush anyway'. So what did she do? She thanked me for waiting with a smile on my face, and offered me a hot chocolate. Let me tell you, it was freezing outside, and that hot chocolate was very very welcome. See, it's a win-win situation.

When arguing with a friend, you never really know if you should be the one to make the first step.

Even if you're not the one that's wrong, do it. It won't always bring peace, but it'll show your friend/mum/dad/whatever that you are ready to stop this and just forget it.

Don't do it twice. Wait for your friend to make the next move. Same thing when you'll have another argument. And don't always make the first move, otherwise they'll think you're like this girl from Fifty Shades of Terrible Fanfiction, letting anyone do what they want with you. (I seriously doubt they'll want to abuse you [although it still happens])

If there is something I hate above anything else, it is to be taken for a fool. I know some people used to think (ad apparently some still do)  that because I'm small, "cute" and kind, it means I'm foolish. Let me tell you, I showed them what it means to be kicked in the arse (sorry for the language, but it's the most appropriate term I've found). Stand up for yourself.

When someone yells at me in an argument, it means two things:

1 - I'm better than them at expressing myself.

Therefore, I win. I know it, they know it, that's why they yell in the first place. they feel they don't have much to say left, so they begin to scream to give more power to what they have to say. But it really doesn't. It makes you sound like you can't take it anymore. Not as strong as you thought it would be.

2 - I'm about to get pissed.

I can't stand when someone tries to prevent me from being heard. So, of course, I'll yell too. Then we're two persons (or more) losing their mind, leading the argument... Absolutely nowhere.

So these were all my tips about social interaction with people. If you have more tips, let me know, I'll add them here!

As always, if you liked this article, please follow this blog and reblog this post so that your followers and theirs can read it and have some fun :) [on Tumblr]

And if you have some advice for me, or just something nice you want to tell me, message me! I’ll always answer.

Hugs,

Jill♥