How to Approach Strangers at a Party

One of the most intimidating things we're ever called to do is to introduce ourselves to a stranger in a social context. Knowing how to pull this off isn't a small question of etiquette, it goes right to the heart of knowing how to feel we deserve to exist and need not feel crippled by shame. Enjoying our Youtube videos? Get full access to all our audio content, videos, and thousands of thought-provoking articles, conversation cards and more with The School of Life Subscription: Be more mindful, present and inspired. Get the best of The School of Life delivered straight to your inbox: FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects here: “A party at the house of a friend, eleven o’clock, on a still-warm evening. A metre away from you, a group of people are chatting animatedly. Someone is telling an anecdote, it might be something about a train ride they took or the mishaps on someone’s bicycle, and their companions break in occasionally with rich laughter and stories of their own. The group as a whole seem confident and attractive and the main narrator especially so. But there may as well be a high solid brick wall or a lamprey-filled moat between you and they. There is resolutely no way you could ever move in to say hello. You smile your characteristic weak, loser’s smile, pretend to study the bookshelf – and leave the gathering ten minutes later.” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on SELF in our playlist: SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: X: Instagram: CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Alexandra Balan Sound Design: Volkan Kiziltug, Music: “Chill Wave“ by Kevin MacLeod (), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, Title animation produced in collaboration with Vale Productions #SchoolOfLife #HowTo #Socialize