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Why You Should Talk to Strangers

Last night, i watched on youtube a very unusual video for me. I watched a Ted talk, called “Why you should talk to strangers,” by Kio Stark. She talked about how in many western societies, we are told from a very young age, that strangers are people to avoid. That strangers can hurt us, and are just non desirables, in a sense. But her argument was that talking to strangers, can actually have a very different effect than we think it does, or should. She attempted to persuade her listeners to realize that talking to strangers, can make you feel understood, in a different way than a friend or even family member can. She talked about how just starting a fleeting conversation with a random person on your street, can make you feel accepted as a person, and feel like someone understands you. She pointed out that even though you only talk to strangers for usually a few minutes, those few minutes can feel very pleasing, and important.

Her argument seemed very reasonable, since she shared personal stories of when she talked to stranger in New York, and that stranger made her feel noticed. I also noticed that it seemed reasonable through personal experience as well. Even though i am very introverted towards strangers, the very few times i have simply smiled at a stranger or maybe told a light joke, it felt very rewarding to just join that person's life story for just a moment. Her argument did not seem totally effective in the video, mainly because the crowd seemed kinda dead, but to me it seemed to make sense, and it challenged me to maybe talk to strangers in my life a little bit more.

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Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 1, 2017 at 9:24 AM

    Her argument was something I never really thought, but she did not seem to base a whole lot of her argument around rhetoric. It is something to chew on though.

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  2. AnonymousMay 6, 2017 at 2:00 PM

    As someone who is rather introverted, I find this extremely interesting. In social situations where I am surrounded by strangers I tend to feel quite uncomfortable. The thought that actually striking up a conversation would make the situation feel more comfortable is something I never thought about before, but it seems to make sense. Very cool.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LexieMay 8, 2017 at 7:20 PM

    This is interesting because, like Jake said, I was always told to stay away from strangers. I understand how talking to one or having them talk to you can make you feel noticed and important.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMay 9, 2017 at 4:51 PM

    Totally. I am kind of good at talking to strangers. But It does make you feel so great. I know that great feelings! Good job jake!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMay 10, 2017 at 5:10 PM

    This speech is very challenging for many. As you mentioned, people are taught to avoid contact with people we don't know because they may be untrustworthy. I could still see the value in engaging with others. This could teach people effective social skills and how to face something that may be scary to them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 10, 2017 at 5:38 PM

    Sounds like a good video. I think that talking to strangers could be very effective and beneficial. It could also give a sense of community. I think talking to strangers is something I would like to do more often.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMay 10, 2017 at 6:04 PM

    It's always good to listen to an argument and evaluate it ourselves, even if the delivery falls a bit short. Over the past few years, I've become far less timid around strangers, whether it's striking up a conversation while waiting in line for something, or just a passing smile. Almost every time I walk away feeling better than before, and so do the people I talk to.

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