Tuesday, May 9, 2023

May 9th

Today is a "victory day" in Russia, and I'm not celebrating.

Also, today is Dave Gahan's birthday. Happy birthday, Dave!

Attack or Defence?

When I put a lot of value in someone else's opinion, I lose my integrity and open up for being hurt. It's like you suddenly become needy I don't know what to do in this case:

1. Should I avoid interacting with the person until I build up confidence?

2.  Or should I go towards my fear and still do it, knowing that it's going to be uncomfortable?

Awkward conversations, GPT edition

Imagine you have a conversation with someone at a party. The conversation is interesting. However, you notice that your interlocutor is getting stressed and looking for an opportunity to switch to something else. I feel awkward about it and asked ChatGPT what to do. It came out spot on!

To avoid making it awkward for someone to break away from a conversation at a social event, consider implementing these strategies:

• Be mindful of time: Keep an eye on the clock and be aware of how long you've been conversing with someone. Aim to keep conversations light and engaging, and limit their length to avoid monopolizing someone's time.
• Encourage mingling: Proactively include others in your conversation by inviting nearby individuals to join or by bringing up topics that you know are of interest to multiple people.
• Read body language: Pay attention to the other person's body language and verbal cues. If they seem to be looking around the room or show signs of wanting to move on, be understanding and offer them an opportunity to do so.
• Offer a graceful exit: Give the person an easy way out by saying something like, "I don't want to keep you too long; it was great chatting with you." This will make them feel less awkward about ending the conversation.
• Be aware of the event's purpose: If the event is meant for networking or meeting new people, keep this in mind and be willing to move from one conversation to another to allow everyone the chance to mingle.
• Seek opportunities to introduce: If you notice someone waiting to speak to the person you're talking to, introduce them and welcome them into the conversation. This can help the person you were initially talking to gracefully transition to a new conversation if they wish.
• Check-in: Periodically ask if the other person needs to grab a drink, use the restroom, or check in with someone else. This offers a natural break in the conversation and allows them to gracefully exit if they want to.

How to fix excessively abstract thinking?

I tend to think in abstract categories. So when I write it, it can sound boring.

For example, I wrote a piece about the benefits of owning things. I came up with two good reasons with relatable personal stories. However, the third reason was dry, derivative, and overly abstract.

What can you do in such a situation?

• Option 1: Cut it. It's better to cut boring stuff than to have a fully fleshed but boring essay.
• Option 2: Personalize. Land it somehow to your personal experience. Tell us the first time you heard about the event when you were ten and your mama was cooking chicken soup that you hated...
• Option 3: Do your research and tell someone else's story. Will Mannon told me today about the time he was writing a text about creating the original Lego set. He wasn't there, so he couldn't tell his personal story. However, he researched and had enough material to tell the story from someone else's perspective.