It’s nice to remember that the world is brimming with kind people. I by no means have lengthy conversations with them, but even a joke or an observation to the store attendant makes me feel like I am the sort of person who is casual about things. It’s fun and reminds me to get outside my (sometimes claustrophobic) bubble.
Jan 15, 2025
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as an example, i was at a consignment store today and integrated myself into a conversation i overheard and could relate to as we had a shared experience/witnessed the same thing (an exhibit, a show, etc.)
idk it was nice to share thoughts about it
Mar 17, 2025
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TLDR: there are friends everywhere for those with eyes to see
I think one consequence of urbanism is a sense of alienation or otherness from one’s neighbors, and especially from strangers. the average person you pass on the street is assumed to have little in common with you with which to establish a mutual connection. maybe this is a consequence of me living in the south, but i’ve been finding that most people are happy to start a light conversation in public.
ive been making a practice of being in public spaces with a posture of openness to interaction. no earbuds in, making light convo with people like service workers that goes beyond the transaction, striking up convos with people who are sharing a space i’m in, etc. most recently I stopped on a park bench at a skatepark during a bike ride and struck up a convo with a skater who beefed a trick and was describing in great detail how it happened and his history with skating. shout out cole I hope your collar bone isn’t broken.
these aren’t the same as a deep, intentional community that one has with close friends/peers (that comes from seeking out, plugging in, and showing up consistently), but seeing everyone around you as a possibility for human connection until proven otherwise makes one feel less lonely. there’s an intentionality in having a posture of openness to connection that can become a self fulfilling prophecy. it’s easy nowadays to feel like we live in social archipelagos, with our own clusters of friends and loved ones with little connecting each group to each other and little connection to others everywhere around us. but your average person is just as interesting and worth getting to know as anyone else. be curious, be cordial, and start integrating casual momentary connections into your life to tide you over between the deeper relationships in your life you might not have access to all the time
10h ago
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I’ve always had struggles starting/maintaining conversations, so when I was in college, I would find something to compliment a stranger on (typically a cashier or someone I had to talk to) because I remembered how good I felt when I unexpectedly got a compliment from someone. When I myself became a cashier at a coffee shop, it was a really nice way to make someone feel good if they looked bored or upset. It also helps with awkward silences. I still do it when I can or when the situation calls for it, and it’s so nice to see people react and smile.
Feb 24, 2025
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Escaping the algorithm is goated
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The chord progression is so satisfying
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