54
votes
Accepted
How to convince my parents I'm happy with my social life?
As the parent of an Asperger's kid, there's enough on that here that I won't add to the pile. As a person who works in IT, what you describe seems to be what I call "normal".
Let's look at what ...
- 32.4k
30
votes
Accepted
How to approach a strategy game against a 5-10 year old child you don't know?
In these situations, I ask a lot of questions and run through scenarios. I'm not playing to win, I'm playing to set up the shape of the game in the child's head. I keep it friendly and semi-...
- 3,111
29
votes
How do I continue to be quiet without being rude?
I'm very much like you. I don't talk unless I have to. My words are scarce.
It's safe to assume that you're doing okay so far and that people aren't considering you as a rude employee.
What would ...
- 10.2k
23
votes
Colleague thinks that he is too slow
I am a 'Joe' and I have met many 'Joe's' over the years.
You are unlikely to be able to convince Joe he is not slow, even when presented with hard evidence he will come up with reasons why that is ...
- 802
22
votes
What methods help to avoid "that awkward silence"?
Reading this question an old adage came to mind: Always leave them wanting more.
The best way to avoid the bit when the conversation runs out of steam is to leave when the conversation is at its peak....
- 858
20
votes
What methods help to avoid "that awkward silence"?
Silence isn't always "awkward." Sometimes a conversation has reached a natural end and needs a "break." Sometimes, a person will reasonably pause to think.
However if you want to break the silence, ...
- 5,543
19
votes
Accepted
Do I need to force myself into social interactions
I have ... similar issues.
In my experience, no matter how often you force yourself into uncomfortable social environments, you won't start to like them. You'll probably never be a party person, and ...
- 10.7k
17
votes
How can I say I want to be left alone without having to explain myself or lie about it?
You are not alone in this: I am not an introvert, I need socialising badly, but even I need a break as often as not. Particularly in a situation where I'm surrounded for long hours by people whom I ...
15
votes
I'm very introverted and only have one friend, do I ask too much of him?
By common everyday standards you do appear to be over-attached to your friend. Not necessarily that you're asking too much of him ... it sounds more like you're simply suffering in silence instead.
...
- 5,955
15
votes
Accepted
How can I deal with uncomfortable silence from my partner?
If her quietness is a symptom of her anxiety, it is possible that there is no perfect communication that would allow her to entirely change her behavior, just like I imagine that there is no one-time ...
- 4,899
14
votes
Accepted
Will interacting on an electronic forum, tend to improve or deteriorate my real life interpersonal skills?
Having been very active on many forums in my life, I can say that it can work for or against you, but will most likely work against you if you don't have much real life interaction. The types of ...
- 255
13
votes
How do I tell my guests that I need time alone?
Both my husband and the husband of a friend who visits often are similar to you. They take a break whenever they need to, because we know this about them. The visiting husband will sometimes go off ...
- 44.5k
13
votes
How to convince my parents I'm happy with my social life?
There seems to be two ways that you can possibly try and convince someone you are happy: one is to tell them that you are happy (and you've said this isn't working); the other is to try and show them ...
- 27.1k
13
votes
Accepted
How to calmly respond to friendly peer-pressure when it's a major pet-peeve?
There's only one reason that your friends would continue to ask you in different, more pressuring ways to do something--it's because they believe they have a chance of changing your mind. The fact ...
- 15.2k
12
votes
Accepted
Love Confession by Personally Handing Over Handwritten Letter
Being an introvert is not a problem. I am an introvert. That means that talking with people makes me tired instead of the opposite. While it's true that I became uninterested in other people and quite ...
- 2,824
12
votes
How can I get my mom to accept me being introverted?
It sounds like she is worried about you but doesn't know how to express that in a supportive way. Her worries are probably not all strictly rational. She may worry that you are missing out on life. ...
- 223
11
votes
What methods help to avoid "that awkward silence"?
How can someone prevent this situation?
Never answer statements without an "and" statement. This can be by introducing more content or asking a question.
For example:
"What's your favorite color?"
"...
- 743
10
votes
How to approach a strategy game against a 5-10 year old child you don't know?
Use it as a learning experience, especially if you have time.
Kids at that age are funny. Some of them are in the "I want to do things myself" stage and some are in the "help me get better stage". ...
- 14.3k
10
votes
Introvert needs help to avoid giving unintended offense
There are several factors at work here, not just introversion. One is relatively easy.
When you get asked a question where you anticipate a person will have to wait for a response, warn them. Say ...
- 24.8k
10
votes
Accepted
Leading a meeting as a shy person?
I can often be shy in social situations. One thing that helps when I lead meetings is to ask myself, "What would I wish the organizer would do in this situation?" You're not putting yourself out there ...
- 3,148
10
votes
How can I (an introvert) convey to extroverts that I need time to rest/recover after talking?
My background: I am married to a very introverted person, and I have had to explain his disappearing act when he needs to go recharge. I understand the reluctance of explaining what you're doing and ...
- 3,575
9
votes
How do I continue to be quiet without being rude?
As someone who has exactly the same outlook, here are my top three tips for appearing quiet, but friendly:
Maintain a small repertoire of information about co-workers
One fact per person is OK, 2 or ...
- 802
9
votes
Accepted
How to have a casual conversation with new colleagues?
Firstly, do not approach the encounter thinking they will have different interests to you. You may find they have a hobby similar to one of yours. I'd be willing to bet at least one secretly visits ...
- 4,019
9
votes
Do I need to force myself into social interactions
I used to be in the same shoes as yours. In fact, I'm from the Netherlands as well. I was always VERY awkward and disliked public speaking. Because, and only because, I used to stutter immensely - and ...
- 111
8
votes
Accepted
How do I politely tell people in public I won't give out my e-mail?
I deal with these by saying:
No thank you
as though they had offered me something.
I used to do this for my phone number (also postal code, which a lot of stores used to ask) and I do it now for ...
- 44.5k
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