| Do you feel awkward in conversations with | | | | Socially awkward people often have a problem |
| people? Are you having a difficult time of | | | | with learning their mental filter, and controlling their |
| pinpointing why? Do feel it's impossible to forge | | | | compulsion to say whatever crosses their mind, |
| lasting and meaningful connections with other kids | | | | positive or negative. Learn to control your need |
| and adults, no matter the situation? If your | | | | to criticize others. Criticism is a bad verbal |
| answer to any of these questions is "yes", then | | | | communication habit. |
| you need to look at how you attempt to interact | | | | TALK LESS ABOUT YOURSELF AND MORE |
| with others, and see how your social skills can be | | | | ABOUT OTHERS |
| improved to get you out there and interacting | | | | Social interaction would be easy if everyone |
| with people in no time. Here are seven proven | | | | simply wanted to talk about the other person. |
| tips to improve your social skills and get you out | | | | Alas, it rarely works that way. Learn to be |
| there. | | | | interested in other people, and find the best ways |
| VALIDATE YOUR OWN EMOTIONS | | | | to get them interested in learning about you, |
| Many of the problems that come with poor social | | | | without volunteering to do it for them. |
| skills is the mistaken understanding that we look | | | | FOCUS OUTWARDLY |
| to others to validate our own emotions and | | | | Try to become more of an extrovert if you're |
| worth. This is incorrect. You and you alone are | | | | introverted (even though biologically this is |
| responsible for the state of your own emotions, | | | | impossible), in all facets of your life, and shift your |
| no matter what awful things someone might say | | | | focus away from yourself and towards the needs |
| to you. Be a mature adult (or kid) and take | | | | of others. |
| responsibility. | | | | STOP BLAMING OTHERS |
| DON'T TRY TO THINK LOGICALLY ABOUT | | | | Along the lines of the previous point, do not |
| SOCIAL INTERACTIONS | | | | blame others for your own ability to communicate |
| People are not rational creatures, they are | | | | or interact socially. You alone are responsible for |
| rationalizing creatures. Most awkward social | | | | fostering good social skills in yourself. |
| interaction stems from one person attempting to | | | | AVOID NEGATIVITY |
| logically interpret the actions or emotions of the | | | | No one likes to be around negative people, and |
| other person, when logical simply doesn't apply. | | | | nothing inhibits social interaction or growth more |
| Stop trying to be logical, and much if not all of the | | | | quickly than your own negative attitude. Try to |
| frustration you feel will melt away. | | | | keep the condemnations and complaints to a |
| AVOID CRITICIZING OTHERS | | | | minimum in any and all conversations. |