Don’t hide in the bathroom, at the bar, or behind a plate of food. Or behind a glass, for that matter. To wit: alcohol obviously can help break the ice in man

Don’t hide in the bathroom, at the bar, or behind a plate of food. Or behind a glass, for that matter. To wit: alcohol obviously can help break the ice in many situations -- but it can also cause innate skills to atrophy, and have weirdly isolating effects in a whole bunch other ways. So use alcohol as a tool (if it works for you) -- but switch it out, now and then. And make a point of doing all that approaching, "leaning in" (or however you like to term it) whilst stone cold sober at least as often as when you've had a glass or two.