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I had a girlfriend who would get visibly anxious in the grocery store line if she hadn't introduced herself to the person in front of her. People were often sho

I had a girlfriend who would get visibly anxious in the grocery store line if she hadn't introduced herself to the person in front of her. People were often shocked when she would randomly introduce herself, but it often turned into interesting but brief conversations. When I moved overseas, she told me that I should do it, and I do on a regular basis - though not in the grocery store line, and I don't get anxious if I don't do it. I've definitely made some interesting connections, including with a guy on a bus in 2012 who transferred me my first bitcoin on that bus and got me into crypto. I wish I knew he was so I could thank him. I've never regretted reaching out to a single person. Sometimes people don't want to talk, and that is easily noticeable. Sometimes I don't end up wanting to talk to them, and that's a bit harder for me to exit. Give it a shot, but do be conscious of other people's feelings and understand quickly if they want to be left alone.

jeffrallen 3y ago
You wouldn't regret talking to me because I would hopefully be polite about it. But I'd rather you didn't. Now to admit my hippocrite bonafides: I talked to a random guy the other day, and we both seemed to enjoy it. But we were unexpectedly in each other's way at a boat ramp, and in exchange for asking him to move his trailer, I offered to help him move stuff. He refused my help, I stubbornly loaded my boat up myself without asking for his help (though I needed it) and we had a nice chat by the car window on the way out. I think I liked talking to him because he seemed equally happy to be as stubborn and introverted as me. :)
ajcp 3y ago
Was this a cultural thing with your girlfriend? Or rather OCD? Or was she an extreme extrovert?
RF_Savage 3y ago
If you still have access to the original wallet with that first bitcoin, you could check if the originating address has had any recent transactions and if yes, send a small hello.
foobiekr 3y ago
I, too, talk to random people. For some reason, apparently, I look like the kind of person people should open up to, and so they approach me and oh boy do they open up. I get the crazies - moon landing denialists, people who think other people are secretly wolves, flat earthers who say "I thought you looked like a fellow traveler", various apparnet schizophrenics who hand me 50+ page printed resumes (not a joke or exaggeration), chain smokers who think I can help them with their struggles with their mothers, people claiming to have taken part in Ross Perot's Iran hostage rescue, young women who urgently want to have sex right now without a condom (I am not good looking and they are usually shaking or twitching and often wandering around in sweat pants), and so on. I've even met famous people more than once, well, dopplegangers had taken over their lives so they'd lost their fame - it had been stolen. I generally like talking to people, and will happily talk to total strangers, but given my experience I am hesitant to initiate conversations - because i wonder - sure, I don't believe in weird outlandish things, but what if I am also a crazy? Do the crazies know what they are? And so I don't.
- cafebee 3y ago
  That’s fascinating - my weirdest stranger story wouldn’t make your top 100. Is there something about your home, work, or hobbies that could account for so many strange encounters? Or just luck of the draw?
  - foobiekr 3y ago
    I don’t think so. It’s been like this all my life - even as a kid.
- pedalpete 3y ago
  I don't find I'm approached by the "crazies" on the street, but put me at a meetup, and they seek me out!
dieselgate 3y ago
> Sometimes people don't want to talk, and that is easily noticeable. That's nice to see. I'm friendly and comfortable talking to strangers but usually avoid it because folks tend to draw it out.
danielbln 3y ago
Don't forget to read the room, culturally. In Northern Europe I would wager that most people would not appreciate random small talk from strangers as much as Americans do, I know I don't.
- fabifabulous 3y ago
  Yep, German here. It‘s really awkward and almost only older people do it. I‘m always sorry for them because I figure they are quite lonely, but inside I‘m thinking “Please, just leave me alone.“

jeffrallen 3y ago

You wouldn't regret talking to me because I would hopefully be polite about it. But I'd rather you didn't. Now to admit my hippocrite bonafides: I talked to a random guy the other day, and we both seemed to enjoy it. But we were unexpectedly in each other's way at a boat ramp, and in exchange for asking him to move his trailer, I offered to help him move stuff. He refused my help, I stubbornly loaded my boat up myself without asking for his help (though I needed it) and we had a nice chat by the car window on the way out. I think I liked talking to him because he seemed equally happy to be as stubborn and introverted as me. :)

ajcp 3y ago

Was this a cultural thing with your girlfriend? Or rather OCD? Or was she an extreme extrovert?

RF_Savage 3y ago

If you still have access to the original wallet with that first bitcoin, you could check if the originating address has had any recent transactions and if yes, send a small hello.

foobiekr 3y ago

I, too, talk to random people. For some reason, apparently, I look like the kind of person people should open up to, and so they approach me and oh boy do they open up. I get the crazies - moon landing denialists, people who think other people are secretly wolves, flat earthers who say "I thought you looked like a fellow traveler", various apparnet schizophrenics who hand me 50+ page printed resumes (not a joke or exaggeration), chain smokers who think I can help them with their struggles with their mothers, people claiming to have taken part in Ross Perot's Iran hostage rescue, young women who urgently want to have sex right now without a condom (I am not good looking and they are usually shaking or twitching and often wandering around in sweat pants), and so on. I've even met famous people more than once, well, dopplegangers had taken over their lives so they'd lost their fame - it had been stolen. I generally like talking to people, and will happily talk to total strangers, but given my experience I am hesitant to initiate conversations - because i wonder - sure, I don't believe in weird outlandish things, but what if I am also a crazy? Do the crazies know what they are? And so I don't.

cafebee 3y ago
That’s fascinating - my weirdest stranger story wouldn’t make your top 100. Is there something about your home, work, or hobbies that could account for so many strange encounters? Or just luck of the draw?
- foobiekr 3y ago
  I don’t think so. It’s been like this all my life - even as a kid.
pedalpete 3y ago
I don't find I'm approached by the "crazies" on the street, but put me at a meetup, and they seek me out!

dieselgate 3y ago

> Sometimes people don't want to talk, and that is easily noticeable. That's nice to see. I'm friendly and comfortable talking to strangers but usually avoid it because folks tend to draw it out.

danielbln 3y ago

Don't forget to read the room, culturally. In Northern Europe I would wager that most people would not appreciate random small talk from strangers as much as Americans do, I know I don't.

fabifabulous 3y ago
Yep, German here. It‘s really awkward and almost only older people do it. I‘m always sorry for them because I figure they are quite lonely, but inside I‘m thinking “Please, just leave me alone.“